KL Rahul will miss this week’s third Test between India and England due to a knee injury, adding to the hosts’ selection issues after Virat Kohli withdraw from their squad.
After losing a dramatic opening Test in Hyderabad, India hit back to level the five-match series with a 106-run win in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
They did so without Rahul after he sustained a quadricep injury. He was then included in the hosts’ squad for the final three matches of the series, but on Thursday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed a separate issue will keep him out of the third match.
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In a statement, the BCCI said Rahul had reached “90 per cent of match fitness” but would not be able to play any part when the third Test begins on Thursday.
Uncapped left-hander Devdutt Padikkal has been called up as a replacement, though India are hopeful of having Rahul available for the final two matches of the series.
🚨 NEWS 🚨: KL Rahul ruled out of third #INDvENG Test, Devdutt Padikkal named replacement. #TeamIndia | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Details 🔽https://t.co/ko8Ubvk9uU
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 12, 2024
In the short term, Rahul’s absence comes as a major blow for the hosts, who saw former captain Kohli withdraw from their squad for the rest of the series due to personal reasons last week.
Fellow batter Shreyas Iyer was not selected in the 17-man squad picked for the remainder of the series, while Ravindra Jadeja is currently battling a hamstring injury.
Should Jadeja fail to prove his fitness, 23-year-old Padikkal and fellow uncapped batter Sarfaraz Khan could have key roles to play in Rajkot.
Padikkal started off as an opener before transitioning to a middle-order role, and he is set to team up with Rahul for the 2024 Indian Premier League season after his trade to Lucknow Super Giants.
