KL Rahul Retires Hurt in Intra-Squad Match, Casting Doubt on BGT Availability

KL Rahul's Injury Woes Continue Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy Opener

Indian star batter KL Rahul's participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) opener against Australia is in doubt after he was forced to retire hurt during an intra-squad match simulation at the WACA.

Rahul was struck by a rising delivery and was seen leaving the ground in discomfort, escorted by a physio. The incident has raised concerns about his fitness and form, which have been under scrutiny in recent times.

The first Test of the BGT begins on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Rahul is a candidate to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal in the opening Test, with skipper Rohit Sharma likely to be unavailable due to the impending birth of his second child.

Rahul's recent performances have been underwhelming. In the home series against New Zealand, he was dismissed for scores of 0 and 12 in his only Test appearance, leading to his exclusion from the next two Tests. His struggles continued in a recent India A game against Australia A, where he scored only 4 and 10.

The pressure is mounting on Rahul to regain his form as India looks to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the challenging Australian conditions. India are aiming for their third consecutive Test series victory in Australia, a feat that would cement their status as one of the world's leading Test teams.

Rahul's injury is a setback for India, who are already dealing with the absence of several key players, including Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami. The team management will be hoping that Rahul recovers in time for the first Test, but his participation remains uncertain at this stage.

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