After receiving a fitness clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain is expected to link up with the team within the next two days. LSG will kick off their campaign against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday.
Although declared fit, sources reveal that the BCCI’s medical team has recommended that Rahul refrain from taking on wicket-keeping duties initially and focus solely on his batting.
“He is fit and can join the IPL franchise in the coming days. He suffered pain in the quadriceps and got an injection too. He went through his rehabilitation and the NCA has now declared him fit. However, he has been advised not to take on the wicket-keeping role immediately,” a source from the Indian board stated.
Rahul experienced discomfort in his right quadriceps during the Hyderabad Test and subsequently missed the remainder of the home series against England. Initially deemed 90 percent fit, the BCCI later opted for a specialist consultation in England, where Rahul sought expert advice.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper, who had been sidelined from the last two days of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy finals due to back issues, has also been given the go-ahead to participate in the IPL. However, he has been advised to avoid excessive lunging while playing the forward defense to prevent aggravating his injury.