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Team India fans were eagerly awaiting the return of vice-captain KL Rahul and former skipper Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODIs against Zimbabwe. However, this wasn’t the case, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to give them further rest ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup.
A section of fans on Twitter felt Kohli and Rahul should have been part of the Zimbabwe tour. While Kohli is undergoing a lean patch in his career, COVID-19 delayed KL Rahul’s return after he recovered from injury. The latter also missed the ongoing India tour of the West Indies.
The netizens showed their anger towards KL Rahul and Virat Kohli for skipping Zimbabwe ODIs on the micro-blogging site. Here’s how they reacted:
IND vs ZIM 2022: KL Rahul issues clarification for missing Zimbabwe ODIs
KL Rahul, in particular, shared a message on why he will miss the upcoming tour to Zimbabwe. In a tweet post, he updated the fans about his fitness:
“Hey guys, I wanted to clarify a couple of things about my health and fitness. My surgery in June was successful, and I had begun training with the hope of returning to national duty for the team’s tour of the West Indies. Unfortunately, as I was nearing a return to full fitness, I tested positive for COVID-19.”
He added:
“This naturally pushes things back by a couple of weeks, but I aim to recover as quickly as possible, and be available for selection as soon as I can. To represent the national team is the highest honour, and I cannot wait to get out there back in blue. See you soon, KLR."
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was targeted for stretching his break amid a sharp decline in form. He managed scores of just 11 and 20 in the fifth Test against England.
It followed scores of 1 and 1 in the T20Is and then 16 and 17 in the ODIs during the same tour. The Men in Blue desperately need the 33-year-old back in form ahead of the Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup.
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Poll : Do you think Kohli should have played in Zimbabwe?
Yes
No
108 votes
