Indian cricketer KL Rahul has been included in Karnataka’s squad for their final league match of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C against Haryana. The match is scheduled to start on January 30, 2025, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This will be Rahul’s first Ranji Trophy appearance since playing against Bengal in Kolkata in 2020.
Rahul’s Fitness and Recent Recovery
KL Rahul had been recovering from an elbow injury sustained during India’s tour to Australia where he played all five test matches. He was rehabilitated after which the BCCI medical team cleared him to return back to competitive cricket. Rahul hadn’t played in Karnataka’s earlier match against Punjab but is fit now to play.
Boost to Karnataka Squad
They will get a good push from Rahul as they look to win and advance into the knockout. The team has also been boosted by pacer Vidwath Kaverappa’s return as well. He had missed a significant part of the domestic season due to an injury.
Current Standing of Karnataka
Karnataka is currently third in Group C with 19 points, behind Haryana (26 points) and Kerala (21 points). A win, preferably with a bonus point, is crucial for Karnataka to stay in contention for the knockout stage.
Match Details and Team Composition
Karnataka Squad Against Haryana:
Mayank Agarwal (Captain)
KL Rahul
Shreyas Gopal (Vice-Captain)
Devdutt Padikkal
KV Aneesh
R Smaran
KL Shrijith (Wicketkeeper)
Abhinav Manohar
Hardik Raj
Prasidh Krishna
Vidwath Kaverappa
Vasuki Koushik
Abhilash Shetty
Yashovardhan Parantap
Nikin Jose
Sujay Sateri (Wicketkeeper)
Mohsin KhanImportance of the Match
Haryana are leading the table but will face a tight challenge from Karnataka as they have most of the senior players in the squad, with Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul. This gives way for Karnataka to make a good fight. It will further help Rahul to get fit once again before the national assignments.
Karnataka will look to dominate Haryana with a strong batting lineup, including Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, and a strong bowling attack with Vidwath Kaverappa and Prasidh Krishna. The team will look to win with a bonus point to have a good chance of making it to the knockout stage.