Lokesh Rahul got a green signal from BCCI medical team. He has been included in the ODI series team for the tour of Zimbabwe. This top-order batsman will also lead the Indian team.
Rahul was not included in the 15-man squad initially announced for the three-match series. The Indian board-BCCI announced his inclusion in the team in a statement on Thursday.
Shikhar Dhawan was named the captain of the team announced last month. Now he will work as Rahul’s deputy.
The 30-year-old Rahul has not played in recognized cricket since the IPL last May. First he suffered a groin injury, then he had to undergo surgery for a sports hernia. Later he was dropped from West Indies tour due to Covid positive.
He returned to the team announced last Monday for the Asia Cup to be held in T20 edition. This right-handed batsman is getting a chance to play for India before the Asia Cup.
Zimbabwe’s tour ends four days before the start of the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Keeping this in mind, many of the first-choice players were not included in the squad for the tour. Among them are regular captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. Bumrah was later ruled out of the Asia Cup due to injury.
India will face Zimbabwe in the first ODI on August 18 at the Harare Sports Club ground. The next two matches at the same ground will be on August 20 and 22. And the Asia Cup starts from August 27.
India ODI squad: Lokesh Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Akshar Patel, Avesh Khan , Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
