India vs Sri Lanka 2023: KL Rahul WEDDING to Athiya Shetty almost confirmed for January, vice-captain to skip series

Team India vice-captain KL Rahul’s much-awaited wedding to Bollywood star girlfriend Athiya Shetty is almost set to take place in January 2023. Rahul, who led Team India during the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, will be missing the three T20s and three ODIs against Sri Lanka starting on January 3 next month as he has sought leave from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to get married.

Apart from Rahul, regular skipper Rohit Sharma is also set to miss the white-ball series as he is yet to recover from his finger injury that he sustained in the second ODI against Bangladesh earlier this month. Rahul is going to get married during the time-frame of the series, BCCI sources informed news agency ANI.

During the trailer launch event of his new show Dharavi Bank, Athiya’s father and Bollywood star Suniel Shetty had confirmed that the wedding will take place soon. However, he has now said that the dates are yet to be confirmed. Suniel told ETimes, “Let me know when you get the confirmed dates so I can attend (the wedding).”

What a win ___ pic.twitter.com/UtEHCaZpUd — K L Rahul (@klrahul) December 25, 2022

Sri Lanka will be touring India from January 3 to January 15 for three T20Is and three ODIs. Notably, Rohit and KL did not have a very good 2022 with the bat.

Rohit Sharma struggled to live up to his ‘Hitman’ tag numerous times in 2022. In two Tests this year, Rohit scored 90 runs at an average of 30, with the best score of 46. In eight ODIs, he scored 249 runs at an average of 41.50, with three half-centuries and a best of 76 not out. Rohit scored 656 runs in 29 T20I innings this year at an average of 24.29 and strike rate of 134.42, with three half-centuries and the best score of 72.

Overall, in 40 innings this year, Rohit scored 995 runs, failing to cross the 1000-run mark. These runs came at an average of 27.63, with six fifties. For the first time since 2012, he did not score an international century for an entire year.

On the other hand, KL played four Tests this year in which he scored 137 runs at an average of 17.12, with one fifty. He has the best score of 50 in Tests this year. In 10 ODIs this year, he scored 251 runs at an average of 27.88, with two half-centuries and the best score of 73. In 16 T20Is this year, he scored 434 runs at an average of 28.93 and six half-centuries, with a best score of 62. Overall in 30 matches this year, KL has scored 822 runs at an average of 25.68, with nine half-centuries.

(with ANI inputs)