Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad revealed that he had visited the Swami Narayan temple in New Jersey and prayed for KL Rahul to smash it in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 tournament after the keeper-batter was named in the 17-member India squad on Monday.
Rahul, along with Shreyas Iyer made his comeback in the Indian team after being out of action since March-April this year. Shreyas Iyer had suffered a back issue and was out since Sri Lanka ODIs, but made a brief return for the Australia Tests at home.
However, the issue resurfaced for Iyer and he had to undergo surgery for the same, meaning that he missed the IPL 2023 tournament. But after a lengthy rehab and recovery at the NCA in Bengaluru, where Shreyas Iyer played a couple of practice games as well, he received the clean chit from the doctors to return to the game.
Venkatesh Prasad Visits Swami Narayan Temple In New Jersey; Prays For KL Rahul
Meanwhile, KL Rahul had suffered a thigh injury during the IPL 2023 where he was leading the Lucknow Super Giants in a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore and scans revealed a hip flexor injury.
Rahul underwent surgery overseas and had been rehabbing in NCA alongside Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Prasidh Krishna, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Recently KL Rahul shared videos of himself batting and keeping in nets in NCA and he also played the practice games with Shreyas Iyer. Therefore both of them were named in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup.
However, Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI chief selector, revealed that Rahul had a fresh niggle that might keep him out of a couple of matches in the Asia Cup tournament, to begin with, but the injury was not a major one.
Meanwhile, one of his most staunch critics Venkatesh Prasad revealed that he visited the Swami Narayan Temple in New Jersey in the USA with Rahul’s father-in-law, actor Suniel Shetty, and prayed for the cricketer.
“Visited the Swami Narayan temple in New Jersey with Anna. Prayed for well well-being of all Bharatvasis & for the Indian Team to do well in the World Cup. Also secretly prayed for KL to smash it to all corners, have a great World Cup and silence his critics like me. Sab khush rahein,” Prasad tweeted.
Visited the Swami Narayan temple in New Jeresy with Anna.
Prayed for well being of all Bharatvasis & for the Indian Team to do well in the World Cup. Also secretely prayed for KL to smash it to all corners, have a great world cup and silence his critics like me.
Sab khush rahein. pic.twitter.com/CcVQif41yK— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) August 22, 2023