'Also secretly prayed for KL Rahul to...': Venkatesh Prasad travels with Suniel Shetty

Earlier this year, Venkatesh Prasad stirred up a storm on social media with his continuous criticism of KL Rahul and his selection in the Indian cricket team during the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy. Venkatesh didn't hold back in expressing his dissatisfaction with Rahul's performance, using multiple posts to voice his concerns. This divided opinions within the cricket community. Some admired Venkatesh's candid and direct approach to critiquing team selections, while others felt he was too severe in his assessment of Rahul.

3 things you need to know

• The Asia Cup 2023 will be held from August 31 to September 17
• KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have been included in the team 
• India will kick-start their campaign against Pakistan on September 2

Also Read: 'The Player Is Lucky To Be In Asia Cup Side': Australia Great Questions India's Selection

Venkatesh Prasad visits temple with Suniel Shetty

In an unexpected turn of events, Venkatesh Prasad surprised the internet by sharing a photo of himself with veteran Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty. To provide context, Shetty happens to be Rahul's father-in-law. Rahul tied the knot with Athiya Shetty earlier in the year, after several years of dating.

Venkatesh disclosed that they had visited the Swami Narayan temple in New Jersey. He even shared that he had secretly prayed for Rahul's success, hoping that he would prove critics like himself wrong and contribute to India's victory in the 2023 World Cup.

Also Read: 'He Is Not Ready': Rohit Sharma's Startling Revelation About Indian Cricketer's Position

KL Rahul returns to the national side

Rahul's inclusion in India's 2023 Asia Squad was confirmed after an anxious period of waiting due to his fitness concerns. Rahul is slated to take on the role of India's primary wicketkeeper during the tournament. His absence from the field since May, following a thigh injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL), had required surgery.

Despite this positive development, there are still worries about Rahul's fitness. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that Rahul is currently dealing with a niggle, separate from his original injury. This raises doubts about his availability for the first few matches in the tournament. Ishan Kishan will likely be preferred in case Rahul doesn't attain full fitness.  

Image: Twitter/VenkateshPrasad/AP