The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday, via a Twitter post, made a surprise announcement and informed that star opening batter KL Rahul has cleared the fitness test and is set to play for India in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, which starts next week in Harare. The 30-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match since the end of IPL 2022.
His inclusion in the team for the Zimbabwe tour is positive news for Indian cricket and fans as he will get much-needed game time to get into the groove before the start of the Asia Cup T20 tournament, which will take place from August 27 to September 11 in Dubai and Sharjah.
The fans welcomed the BCCI’s decision to include Rahul in the Indian team for the upcoming series, but at the same time expressed anger with the board’s decision to demote veteran opening batter Shikhar Dhawan from the leadership role and make Rahul the captain.
Dhawan, who led India in the three-match ODI series against West Indies last month, was initially supposed to take up the role again after he was appointed as the captain of the 50-over second-string Indian team for the upcoming tour. But once Rahul became fit and available, he was roped in and was handed the leadership responsibility.
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