Former NZ all-rounder questions whether KL Rahul can get back into India side

KL Rahul. Pic/AFP

Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris feels it may not be easy for opener KL Rahul to fit into the scheme of things after being out of cricketing action since May this year.

Rahul has been out of competitive cricketing action since featuring in the IPL 2022 Eliminator on May 25 in Kolkata. His team, debutants Lucknow Super Giants, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 14 runs at Eden Gardens.

He was then named as captain for India's five-match T20I series at home against South Africa in June. But a right groin injury on the eve of the first match in New Delhi ruled him out of the series. Rahul then flied to Germany for undergoing a sports hernia surgery in Germany that ruled out of England tour and ODIs against West Indies too.

He had been recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, but a positive Covid-19 result meant that he missed out on selection for T20Is against the West Indies and was not named in upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.

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"It's a different mindset for players because they don't want to be out and they don't want to be giving other players opportunities. I know India has a very good culture within its group, so it doesn't mind allowing other players opportunities all the time. I know as a player myself, you never wanted to give somebody else a chance to take your spot."

"So with the fact that he's out injured and he's away from the team at the moment, it just means that other players are able to do what Suryakumar is doing, what Rishabh Pant is doing, getting in there, taking the chance scoring runs and really posing the selectors some questions saying, do we actually need KL Rahul?"

"Is he going to be in good form when he comes back? He has missed a lot of cricket, a lot of question marks now present themselves just because he's been able to give other players that opportunity," said Styris on 'Sports Over The Top' show on Sports18.

It is widely expected that Rahul, who last played a T20I for India against New Zealand in Ranchi last year, will be fit in time for Asia Cup in the UAE and subsequently, the three-match T20I series against Australia and South Africa at home before the start of Men's T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November.

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