ZIM vs IND | He was going for knocking after match: Mohammad Kaif reveals KL Rahul went to nets after poor outing
India Today
KL Rahul was dismissed cheaply for one in the second ODI, which India won by five wickets against Zimbabwe. It was Rahul's first competitive match since the IPL 2022.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif is "not worried" about KL Rahul's poor outing in the second ODI against Zimbabwe, saying he is coming back to competitive cricket after a long time.
KL Rahul was cheaply dismissed for one in the second ODI, which India won by five wickets on Saturday (August 20). The right-hander missed the ball and it struck him in front off the bowling of Victor Nyauchi.
"Such things happen, he is coming back after a long time. I am not worried about his form, he is a class batter. He got out today, it does not make a difference. It was a pitched-up delivery that came in after pitching and you can get dismissed against the new ball anytime," Kaif told Sony Sports.
Kaif pointed out that Rahul had the batting pads in his hand after the match, which indicated that the India captain was heading to the nets for practice. "He is a fantastic batter. He was going for knocking when the match got over. He had the pads in his hands and was going straight to the nets. He is trying to be in touch, get the rhythm back."
Rahul, who didn't play any matches since the conclusion of the IPL 2022, is returning after recovering from an injury for which he got surgery done in Germany. He was supposed to tour the West Indies but could not travel after getting tested positive for Covid-19. Rahul was not only added to the India squad but named captain for the Zimbabwe tour after being declared fit by the BCCI. He has also been picked for the Asia Cup later this month.
"When he got injured during the IPL, there also he was in form. He scored runs in every match, scored two centuries also in the IPL against the Mumbai Indians, so he was in great form. He is a class batter, he is scoring hundreds in Test matches. He has scored runs in every format.
"There is one more match. So he should spend some time when he comes to bat there, struggle a little, there will be appeals, he might get beaten by an odd delivery. Every batter has such a phase in his life when he is coming back from injury. But I will not be too concerned by him getting out in today’s match," Kaif said.
