Due to rehabilitation from the illness, India's star opener KL Rahul, who tested positive for Covid-19 on July 21, is expected to miss the T20I series against the West Indies, which begins on July 29.
Netizens were interested to learn where Rahul was in a video that the BCCI shared on their Twitter account on July 26 regarding T20I squad members including Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Dinesh Karthik joining the ODI team in Trinidad.
However, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo, Rahul will now be available for the ODIs against Zimbabwe in August, skipping the T20Is against the West Indies entirely. Rahul has been recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru since travelling to Germany for sports hernia surgery in late June.
"Even if he gave the two required negative tests, it was recognised that he was a question for the T20I phase of the West Indies tour. Rahul might have been selected for the August 6–7 USA leg of the West Indies Twenty20 Internationals, depending on the results of his cardiovascular tests. But it now seems certain that he would forgo the trip entirely and concentrate on the ODIs in Zimbabwe, which are a part of the World Cup Super League "the article stated.
India will play three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe in Harare on August 18, 20, and 22 following the conclusion of the West Indies trip. The series will be a part of the ODI Super League, which will decide who will represent their country in the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup, for which India has already qualified automatically as the tournament's hosts.
Rahul last played in the IPL 2022 Eliminator on May 25 in Kolkata. Since then, he has not played in any competitive cricket matches. At Eden Gardens, his team, the rookie Lucknow Super Giants, was defeated by Royal Challengers Bangalore by a score of 14 runs. The five-match T20I series against South Africa at home in June was then announced with Rahul serving as captain.
However, a right groin injury on the eve of the series' opening game in New Delhi prevented him from playing. Rahul was also forced to cancel his trip of England due to the sports hernia surgery he underwent in Germany. With the third and final ODI match scheduled for Wednesday at Queen's Park Oval, India presently holds a 2-0 series lead against the West Indies.