When Did KL Rahul Last Play Ranji?: KKR Official Slams BCCI Over Shreyas Iyer's Contract Loss

The focus on Shreyas Iyer's absence from Ranji Trophy matches after being left out of the Indian Test squad during the England series revolves around his back injury. While the BCCI didn't officially reveal why Iyer was dropped from the national team contracts, sources suggested that his absence from Mumbai's subsequent Ranji Trophy fixtures was due to a back spasm.

Reuters

Shreyas Iyer's contract loss: exploring the other side

There was a mix-up when the National Cricket Academy said he was ready to play. This annoyed the BCCI selection committee because Iyer was spotted at the Kolkata Knight Riders Academy in Mumbai. But a new report from the KKR camp showed a different side of the story.

Speaking to Revsportz, an insider explained that Iyer went to the KKR academy after being dropped from the Indian Test team to work on his injury, as franchise coach Chandrakant Pandit mentioned earlier. He added that the Mumbai Cricket Association was informed of Iyer's actions, and team head coach Omkar Salvi frequently visited the camp to monitor his progress.

"After playing 60 balls in a session, his back was building spasms. He had to build up his resistance. Now he is playing 200 balls per session. In three weeks, he has put on three kilos of muscles. The Mumbai Cricket Association and the Mumbai team head coach (Omkar Salvi) have been kept in the loop. In fact, the Mumbai coach visited the KKR Academy several times to monitor Iyer¡¯s progress. And now he has made himself available for the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu," the person told the website on anonymity.

KKR Academy| Image by TIL

Iyer's pain battle at ODI World Cup 2023

The source also mentioned that Iyer had to get pain relief injections during the ODI World Cup. After that, he struggled with back pain again during the semifinal and final matches. Iyer didn't get much of a break after the ICC tournament. He played in the T20I series against Australia at home, then went to South Africa for more matches, including Tests. After that, he played in the Ranji Trophy to prepare for the Tests against England.

"He skipped the IPL to play the World Cup. Even after the surgery, he took three cortisone injections to be pain-free for the World Cup. And yet, the pain returned during the semi-final and the final, and he played through it. Iyer was the only player who wasn¡¯t given a break after the World Cup. He played the home T20I series against Australia and then went to South Africa. After returning from South Africa, he was asked to play a Ranji game in January, ahead of the first two Tests against England. He did that. Doesn¡¯t a player have the liberty to train under a coach of his choice?"

'When was the last time Rahul turned up for a Ranji game?'

Reuters

Further, the source raised a tough question about KL Rahul's most recent appearance in a Ranji Trophy match. "KL Rahul, too, went to London for the treatment of his quadriceps pain. Nobody has asked a question. And when was the last time Rahul turned up for a Ranji game? He is also an injury-prone cricketer who has missed series and matches. A player is the best judge in terms of assessing his body," he added.

Rahul, who is recovering from a quadriceps injury and couldn't play three Tests against England, last participated in a Ranji Trophy game four years ago. The wicketkeeper-batsman has been put in Grade A in BCCI's yearly retainers.

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