Virat Kohli plays with a puppy© X (formerly called Twitter)
The Indian cricket team is gearing up for the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2023 with their first game against Pakistan on Sunday. The group stage match between the two traditional rivals was abandoned due to rain but the Rohit Sharma-led side booked their berth in the Super 4 with a comfortable win over Nepal. With intensity running high ahead of the match, some players had a light moment when a puppy entered the stadium during their practice session. The cricketers were playing football and once they noticed the puppy, they included it in their games. In a picture which has gone viral on social media, Virat Kohli can be seen petting and playing with the puppy.
Can KL Rahul keep wickets for the entire duration of an ODI? That question has gathered steam after his inclusion in the India squad for ongoing Asia Cup and the upcoming World Cup. But on Friday, Rahul might have answered a few sceptics while keeping for nearly 45 minutes at nets.
Even though Rahul has been batting quite fluently at the NCA match simulation process and at nets here, his wicketkeeping remained a subject of speculation.
Rahul’s intense keeping drill at nets might have also brightened his chance of getting included in India’s playing 11 for the Super 4 match against Pakistan on Sunday. Rahul last played for India in an ODI match against Australia in Chennai in March this year.
Going through various scenarios of a match was at the core of Rahul’s training at the Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
The training started with Rahul standing up to the stumps as two support staff members did the duties of batter and bowler, a simulation of keeping to spinners.
Rahul was given a test on collecting the ball outside off-stump, and the 31-year-old also managed to crouch for the entire duration of training without much discomfort.
It might have given the team management a vivid portend about Rahul’s recovery from a niggle which was independent of the right thigh injury that mandated a surgery and rehabilitation.
(With PTI inputs)
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