Rahul’s much-awaited India comeback could be delayed as he is hit by COVID-19, confirmed BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on July 21. The player has contracted the contagious virus and is now a doubtful participant in the five T20Is against the West Indies.
Ganguly confirmed the news on Rahul after BCCI’s apex council meeting in Mumbai, stating that the player picked up the coronavirus in Bangalore, where he is at the National Cricket Academy, going through a final round of rehabilitation for his groin injury.
“He was undergoing rehab in Bengaluru when his results came positive,”
he told the press.
Rahul, who last turned out for India in February, has been missing from the cricketing action since May, when he concluded a two-month stint as captain of Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2022. The elegant opening batter’s groin injury was detected ahead of the T20I series at home versus South Africa in June, and he was subsequently ruled out of the trips to Ireland, England and the ODI leg of the series in the Windies.
The 30-year-old had flown to Germany instead to undergo surgery on his groin issue, which turned out successful. Upon his comeback to India, he stayed at the NCA in Bangalore, with coaches supervising his recovery and rehab for an India comeback.
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He was seen batting in the nets after a long time, facing the legendary Indian women’s fast-bowler Jhulan Goswami to get some rhythm going again with his game. The selectors felt chuffed by the speed of Rahul’s recovery and named him in the squad for the T20I leg of the West Indies series, only for Covid-19 to ruin their plans. The Chetan Sharma-led panel may have also wanted to appoint him skipper for the Zimbabwe tour that follows with an alternate Indian squad on the eve of the Asia Cup in UAE.
Rahul’s bout with coronavirus, though, is not the only setback for India ahead of the West Indies series, as premier spin allrounder Ravindra Jadeja is now unlikely to take part in the ODI series that begins the trip. Jadeja could be rested for the three matches in Port of Spain due to a reported niggle in his knee.
The team management and the medical staff are looking to provide him adequate rest from the series so as to ensure he doesn’t aggravate the issue and be ready to play the T20I series, which is considered more important right now given the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
Jadeja, too, has been missing a lot of cricket for India since last winter. The cricketer picked up a hamstring and shoulder issue ahead of the second Test against New Zealand in December last year and subsequently missed the entire trip to South Africa, where his presence at No.7 in Tests may have made a huge difference. He also skipped the limited-overs series versus the West Indies at home in February.
Jadeja recovered in time for the T20Is and Tests against Sri Lanka in March and took part in the IPL 2022 for Chennai Super Kings. He was rested for the T20Is against South Africa and Ireland but played the all-format series in the UK versus England.
India start off their tour of the Caribbean in Trinidad with three ODIs at the Old Queen’s Park Oval on July 22, 24 and 27. The T20I series kickstarts in Tarouba at the new Brian Lara Stadium on July 29, before the caravan shifts to St Kitts for the second and third T20Is on August 1 and 2. India’s trip concludes with a short visit to USA’s Lauderhill, where the fourth and final T20Is are scheduled on August 6 and 7.
