Senior batsman Ajinkya Rahane is set to miss the upcoming tour of England after suffering a Grade III hamstring injury. Team India will leave for the tour of England in mid-June for a full-fledged series. The tour will start with the fifth and final Test of the series that took place last year. The fifth Test had to be postponed due to Covid-19. India are leading the series 2-1 and a draw will be enough for them to clinch a memorable series win.
The latest injury setback will be a huge blow for Rahane. The right-handed batsman has already lost his place in the Test team’s playing eleven. Earlier this year, he was dropped from the Test squad for the two-match home series against Sri Lanka. The ouster from the squad saw Rahane return to domestic cricket. Rahane would have hoped for a recall to the Test team for the upcoming tour but it looks highly unlikely now, according to Cricbuzz.
As per the report, the team for the tour is expected to be selected in a week’s time and Rahane is unlikely to be named in the squad. The report further stated that Rahane will be reporting at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore where he may need more than four weeks of rehab. The injury means Rahane’s stint in the ongoing Indian Premier League has ended too. He was plying his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022.
Rahane has failed to do well in IPL too. In seven games this IPL, Rahane has managed to score only 133 runs. He is now set to exit the Kolkata Knight Riders bubble on Monday evening. Rahane suffered the injury during Kolkata Knight Riders’ last game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, on May 14 and was not seen fielding during the game at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
