Sanju Samson returned home because his presence was no longer needed in the India squad for the Asia Cup 2023. After KL Rahul joined the group before the tournament’s Super 4 round, the Indian team management made the choice.
Previously, Kl Rahul‘s injury prevented him from playing in the group-stage matches against Pakistan and Nepal; therefore, Samson was chosen as his backup. Rahul, though, bounced back from that and joined the Indian team after receiving the go-ahead from Bengaluru’s National Academy Cricket Academy.
Rahul batted for a significant amount of time in the indoor nets in Colombo on Thursday, his first session with Team India following a protracted injury layoff. As the right-hander failed to keep wickets, some questions were raised. However, the fundamental cause was a lack of room in the indoor net area. He moved well during batting, so there were no fears about injuries.
When Rahul managed the wickets for nearly 90 minutes on Friday, any concerns regarding his fitness were dismissed. Before their Super 4 opener against Pakistan on Sunday, the Indian players were able to practice outside at the R Premadasa Stadium thanks to mostly clear weather on Friday.
It is reliable information that Samson, who is not a member of India’s World Cup squad, was sent home once Rahul returned and demonstrated his fitness in goal.
Rahul lost out on a chance to bat, though, because of the long-keeping exercise. The skies opened as he was getting ready to bat, and India had already shortened their practice.
Giving the lower-order hitters practice was given particular importance in India. The likes of Shardul Thakur, Axar, and Bumrah spent a lot of time perfecting their techniques with the batting instructor. One of the main talking points over the past several months has been India’s bowlers’ failure to generate significant runs at the conclusion of the innings.
Part-timers Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, who weren’t considered for the XI, bowled effectively for a few overs, indicating a shift in the Indian team’s outlook.
To prepare for the threat posed by Pakistani speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi, who claimed four wickets against India in the group stage, special emphasis was placed on practicing against left-arm seamers.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, and the others all practised hard on Friday until the weather was favourable.
Here's the #TeamIndia squad for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 🙌#CWC23 pic.twitter.com/EX7Njg2Tcv
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 5, 2023
Copyright © 2025 Top Indian News
