[Watch] KL Rahul begins his road to recovery after missing NZ Tests
Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has begun the process of recovering from a strain on his left thigh.
The injury forced the 29-year-old to miss the ongoing Test series between India and New Zealand. He was replaced by Suryakumar Yadav in the squad.
Rahul shared some snippets of his rehabilitation process on his Instagram account. He was seen working on the anti-gravity treadmill, which athletes use to improve their recovery rates.
Furthermore, he worked on a few stretches focusing on his upper body and the injured left leg in question.
KL Rahul has been a regular feature for Team India across all formats. He claimed back his opening spot in the longest format following a successful tour of England.
Rahul's composure and technique at the top of the order in challenging conditions was lauded by fans and pundits alike.
Not the ideal World Cup for us, but we learn and grow.
Grateful to all our fans for the love and support.
Thank you to our coaches for helping us grow as cricketers. A big shout-out to @imVkohli for being a leader who led by example and for everything you have done for us. 🇮🇳🙏 https://t.co/oejHdUvCZ8
He played the entirety of the T20 World Cup and was eventually rested for the final T20I against New Zealand in Kolkata.
He was primed to open alongside his Karnataka and Punjab Kings teammate Mayank Agarwal in the Test series but ended up being ruled out due to injury.
KL Rahul would be in contention for the squad for the South Africa tour
With the squad for the upcoming South Africa tour set to be named soon, KL Rahul will hope to be back to full fitness. Team India have banked on the opening pair on multiple occasions in overseas tours in the recent past, given the poor form of the middle-order.
KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are expected to be the first-choice openers for the tour, with Agarwal posing as the back-up. Team management are priming Shubman Gill to take up a role in the middle-order rather than at the top.
Apart from international cricket, Rahul is reportedly in talks with the management of the newly founded Lucknow franchise in the IPL.
He is unlikely to extend his stint with the Punjab Kings, which leaves him as an option for one of the two new franchises to pick him before the auction.