[Watch] KL Rahul bats in the nets to gear up for 2024 Duleep Trophy
Team India's senior keeper-batter KL Rahul was recently seen sweating it out in the nets, gearing up for the upcoming 17th edition of the Duldeep Trophy. The 32-year-old will partake in the red-ball domestic tournament and represent the Shubman Gill-led Team A in the first round.
A video surfaced on social media on Friday, August 23, in which Rahul can be seen batting in the nets. The right-handed batter's form will be key for India ahead of their Test season.
Following the first round of the 2024 Duldeep Trophy, the Team India stars will compete against Bangladesh in a two-match home Test series. The first Test will be played in Chennai from September 19.
You can watch the video of Rahul's practice session below:
Rahul was last seen in action during India's three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month. He scored 31 runs off 43 balls in the opening encounter. Batting at No. 7, Rahul bagged a two-ball duck and was not picked in the playing XI in the third fixture.
KL Rahul's recent Instagram story sparked retirement rumors on social media
KL Rahul shared an Instagram story on Thursday, August 22, in which he disclosed that he had an announcement to make. The story went viral on social media, with fans speculating that the seasoned campaigner was going to announce his retirement.
It is worth mentioning that a fake screenshot of Rahul announcing his retirement also went viral, adding more fuel to the fire. However, it proved to be a hoax as the player had already commenced training for the upcoming matches.
Rahul's Instagram story read:
"I have an announcement to make, stay tuned..."
Team A and Team B will compete in the first game of the Duleep Trophy. The match will be played in Bengaluru from September 5. Apart from KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, Team A also features the likes of Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav and Riyan Parag.
Team A squad for the first round: Shubman Gill (C), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra, Shaswat Rawat.