[WATCH] KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer bat together at the NCA, Rishabh Pant shares video

Rishabh Pant has shared a video of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer batting together in a match at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The 10-second clip would be a massive sight of hope for Indian fans and selectors ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup.

In the video, apparently recorded from the stands and shared on Pant's Instagram, Shreyas can be seen punching a ball from a fast bowler with Rahul standing at the other end. Pant wrote he was loving watching "live cricket" after a long time.

You can watch the video here.

All three players, currently injured for different durations, are at the NCA.

Pant was involved in a nasty car accident last December which caused major injuries to his body, especially one of his knees. Although the wicketkeeper-batter is said to be practicing in the nets, there's still considerable time before he can return to international cricket. But Rahul and Shreyas are set to be on the verge of a comeback.

While Rahul suffered a thigh strain during IPL 2023, Shreyas had a case of a recurring back injury. Both underwent surgeries in May and April, respectively.

A recent report by The Indian Express said Rahul will undergo a fitness test on Friday, August 18, which, if cleared, would allow him to be a part of the squads for the 2023 Asia Cup and the subsequent ODI World Cup.

There was no such confirmation on Shreyas, who was said to be slightly behind in his recovery. This video, thus, is good news.

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Why are KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer's comebacks important for India?

India had established a solid middle order by early this year in a bid to improve from the 2019 World Cup performance.

Shreyas Iyer had established himself as India's best No. 4 with two hundreds and over 800 runs in total while KL Rahul provided balance and stability at NO. 5 as the wicketkeeper-batter.

With both injured, India have tried multiple options in the crucial spots: Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel, among others but none of them have worked. Recently, there has even been talk of including Tilak Varma, who hasn't played ODI cricket yet, in the Asia Cup team.

If both of them are cleared fit, it'll solve a major headache for selectors and will give India their best chance in both key tournaments.