'Music to my ears': KL Rahul back in the nets as IPL 2020 nears

As the 13th edition of the IPL nears, Kings XI Punjab's stalwart KL Rahul uploaded a video clip in which the batsman is seen hitting the ball in the nets. Rahul is set to become the fifth Indian and 12th player overall to lead Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.

The 13th edition of the tournament was originally slated to start on March 29, however, the cash-rich league was indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the IPL 2020 soon approaching, the franchises are leaving no stone unturned to prepare themselves for the tournament.

In a video that Rahul posted on Twitter, he was seen playing defensive shots. He captioned the video as,  "Music to my ears". Take a look - 

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Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020

The IPL 2020 season is now slated to be played from September 19 and November 10 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Kings XI Punjab will go into the tournament with some of the biggest T20 stars in their line-up like KL Rahul, Chris Gayle and Mohammad Shami. The Punjab-based T20 franchise can also take some much-needed confidence from their previous exploits (IPL 2014) in the desert country. As of now, Kings XI Punjab is the only IPL franchise among all teams which is yet to taste a defeat in the UAE.

Kings XI Punjab was one of the original eight franchises that began its Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign in the inaugural edition (2008) of the tournament. Under the leadership of charismatic all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, they enjoyed a successful run in the event until they were upstaged by MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the semifinal. Apart from Yuvraj Singh, the Kings XI Punjab squad of IPL 2008 was comprised of several big names like Irfan Pathan, Kumar Sangakkara, Shaun Marsh and Brett Lee.

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IPL 2020 moved to UAE

On August 2, BCCI received permission from the Indian government to hold the IPL in the UAE. The Governing Council which met on Sunday to chalk out the future course of the tournament has also decided to allow COVID-19 replacements in this year's tournament which will be held in the UAE. The replacement rule has been brought in the wake of the pandemic. The franchises have been allowed 24-player squads and will also be allowed to replace players in case they get unwell during the tournament. The tournament will begin on September 19 in the UAE with the final being played on November 10. 

 

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(Image credits: PTI)