Captain Rohit Sharma remains cautious about Rahul’s immediate place in the playing eleven.

Rohit Sharma, the skipper, refrained from confirming Rahul’s spot in the starting XI, emphasizing the competition for places.

“We have said earlier that problems like these are good, that boys are fighting for spots,” Rohit told reporters in Kandy as World Cup hosts India unveiled their squad. “We will have to see who is in form and who is the opposition to face. All this will be calculated and the best XI will be picked.”

An overview of Rahul’s journey back to fitness and competitive cricket.

The 31-year-old Rahul has been absent from competitive cricket since his injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May. He was initially included in the Asia Cup squad for Sri Lanka but missed the first two matches due to an unrelated niggle, stemming from his original thigh injury.

The possibility of Rahul and Ishan Kishan, who have both excelled as openers, playing together.

Rohit did not rule out the prospect of Rahul and Ishan, both top-order batsmen, sharing the field. “As long as everyone’s available and fit to play, the selection depends on the opposition we play, current form, players who have done well under pressure, those things do matter,” said Rohit. He also lauded Ishan’s recent performance at the Asia Cup, highlighting his batting under pressure and the added dimension of having a left-hander in the lineup.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar sees Rahul’s return as a positive challenge.

Rahul’s return presents a positive “headache” for chief selector Ajit Agarkar. “You see KL’s record in one-day cricket is fantastic. So when he comes there will be a conversation,” Agarkar commented.

An outlook on India’s aspirations in the upcoming 50-over World Cup.

India, fervent about cricket, seeks to end their world title drought, which has persisted since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Their last ODI World Cup victory was on home soil in 2011.