KL Rahul to return to Karnataka squad for Ranji Trophy
What's the story
KL Rahul, an integral part of the Indian cricket team, will be returning to the Karnataka side for their next Ranji Trophy match against Haryana.
The match is set to start on January 30 and will back the Mayank Agarwal-led Karnataka team.
The news comes after Rahul recovered from an elbow injury that had ruled him out of a previous game against Punjab.
Domestic cricket
Rahul's return follows BCCI's new mandate
Rahul's return to the domestic cricket scene comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a new mandate.
The directive requires all Indian cricketers to participate in domestic matches after India's disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Consequently, several prominent players like Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill have returned to their respective state associations.
Practice session
Rahul's participation crucial for upcoming ICC event
Rahul's participation in the Ranji Trophy is seen as a vital opportunity to gain valuable batting practice.
Additionally, he is set to play three ODIs before heading to Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, the attention of the Indian cricketers is now solely on this big ICC event, and would like to get back on winning ways.
Stats
A look at his First-Class numbers
Rahul has featured in a total of 103 FC cricket matches (177 innings) while amassing 7,262 runs at an average of 42.71.
He also boasts a strike rate of 54.21 while smashing 18 hundreds and 36 fifties. Additionally, he also owns his best score of 337.
3257 of these runs have come in Tests at 33.57.