Rahul eyes Sri Lanka series for comeback

Mumbai: Injured batsman KL Rahul requires another three months to recuperate from his shoulder surgery and the proposed series against Sri Lanka in August could be his first international assignment on comeback.

The shoulder injury, aggravated during the India- Australia series, forced Rahul to miss the ongoing IPL and upcoming Champions Trophy in England.

"It's been just a month that I had this surgery. It will take some more time, maybe two months to recover and attain the required fitness to get back to international cricket. So aiming for sometime in August for comeback, probably can make a comeback for the Sri Lanka series," the 25-year-old player told PTI during an interaction here today.

"So far it (the injury and the period after that) has been challenging not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. To be at home and not do anything is frustrating. It is challenging for me," the right-handed batsman said.

"Missing tournaments due to injury is a part and parcel of the game for a player. Of course I miss playing cricket, being part of the IPL, it is the biggest tournament in India and the Champions Trophy, would have been the first world (ICC) tournament that I would have played."

"It could have been a big moment in my career, I was looking forward to play in the Champions Trophy. It is little bit frustrating. I will take care of my recovery and come back stronger," he pointed out.

The Karnataka player, who consistently performed during the four-match Test rubber against Australia, said the young team learnt took its lessons.

"By far the toughest attacks we have faced at home in the last one year. They came well-prepared and were a strong unit. We were challenged a lot. We hadn't lost a Test match in two years, so we learnt how to pick up from 0-1 down to beat the team 2-1. Can't say we had lot of home advantage," he said on the Australia series.

Rahul also said that it was disappointing for him to see that the Royal Challengers Bangalore did not perform well this IPL season.

"Even for the players who played this year, it was disappointing for them. It is a sport, every team has good and bad years," he said.

On the Red Bull campus cricket, he said he got to play in that tournament after an injury when he was 18.

"I did not have any other tournament. I was looking for a platform to perform and I played well and then I got to play for Karnataka in Ranji and T20. A lot of good things happened to me after the campus cricket," Rahul, a Red Bull athlete signed off.