KL Rahul clears fitness test, set to be included in India's World Cup squad - Reports

According to reports, KL Rahul to be part of India's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad.

Team India are currently featured in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, which started on August 30. This tournament is being held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the top six Asian teams taking part in it. India are placed in Group A, along with Pakistan and Nepal, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are in Group B.

The Men in Blue played their first game of the tournament on Saturday against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Unfortunately, the second innings of the game was completely washed out, and the game ended without a result. Though India batted first and were dismissed for 266 runs in 48.5 overs, courtesy of a 138-run stand for the fifth wicket between Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya.

KL Rahul clears the fitness test and is all set to be included in India's squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup - Report

The Indian top-order failed against Pakistan. And it was Ishan Kishan who got a chance in the squad after KL Rahul missed out due to a niggle. But some reports claimed that KL Rahul has now cleared the fitness test conducted at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), got the clearance certificate, and is ready to join the Indian provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Notably, Rahul has been undergoing his rehab at the NCA post-surgery and has a final round to prove his match fitness before traveling to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup 2023. However, now that he has passed the fitness test, he will join the team in Sri Lanka. India will select the 15-member squad for the World Cup on September 5.

Head of selection committee Ajit Agarkar reached Pallekele on Saturday and held a small meeting with Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid after the IND-PAK match was called off. Rahul will also keep the wicket, and Kishan will be his backup. It means Sanju Samson will miss out on the squad while Suryakumar Yadav will retain his place. Two more names who didn't make the cut are Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna; the rest of the team is the same as in the Asia Cup 2023.

India's possible squad for World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.