KL Rahul Cleared To Play, Will Lead Indian Team Against Zimbabwe: BCCI

India Tour of Zimbabwe, 2022: KL Rahul has been out of competitive cricketing action since featuring in the IPL 2022 Eliminator on May 25 in Kolkata.

Indian batter KL Rahul

Indian batter KL Rahul has been cleared to play in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe and will lead the Indian team. Shikhar Dhawan has been named as his deputy. Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan was named as captain of the Indian side.

"The BCCI medical team has assessed KL Rahul and cleared him to play in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has appointed him the captain of the side and named Shikhar Dhawan as his deputy," a BCCI statement said.

KL Rahul has been out of cricketing action since featuring in the IPL 2022 Eliminator on May 25 in Kolkata. Rahul was then named as captain for the five-match T20I series at home against South Africa in June. But a right groin injury on the eve of the first match in New Delhi ruled him out of the series. 

He underwent a sports hernia surgery in Germany and was ruled out of the England tour too.

Rahul was set to return during India's T20I series against West Indies, but he tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the tour and wasn't included in the trip to the Caribbean.

Most of the regular ODI members of the Indian side -- Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Mohammad Shami -- have been given rest.

The ODI series against Zimbabwe will start on August 18 at Harare Sports Club. Wicketkeeper-batter Regis Chakabva will lead Zimbabwe against India. The second and third ODIs will be played on August 20 and 22 at Harare.

Regular captain Craig Ervine will miss the series as he is still nursing a left hamstring tear. Zimbabwe will also be without Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara and Wellington Masakadza.

India's squad for 3 ODIs: KL Rahul (Captain) Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Siraj, Deepak Chahar.