New Delhi: India’s top-order wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul on Friday ruled himself out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia and will undergo a thigh surgery on the advice of his medical team.
Rahul, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, has been ruled out for an indefinite period due to the injury he sustained during an IPL 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this week. The WTC final will be played at the Oval in London from June 7.
“Absolutely gutted that I won’t be at the Oval next month with Team India. I’ll do everything I can to get back in blue and help my country. That has always been my focus and priority,” Rahul said in a statement he uploaded on his social media handles.
“After careful consideration and consultation with the medical team, it’s been concluded that I’ll be undergoing a surgery on my thigh shortly,” he added. Rahul’s exclusion from the Indian side has put in a lot of questions to answer.
With Rahul missing, Andhra Pradesh’s Kona Srikar Bharat is the only designated wicketkeeper-batter left in the side. Rishabh Pant, who played in the inaugural WTC final that India lost against New Zealand in 2021, is already ruled out after surviving a car crash last year.
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Bharat, who made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, is just just four-games old and the Indian team would want someone with more experience in the windy England conditions who could tackle Australia’s top-quality pace attack.
During the BGT, India skipper Rohit Sharma had backed Bharat and assured him enough game time to prove his worth. Ishan Kishan, who was part of the Indian squad in BGT but didn’t get a game, is frontrunner to replace Rahul in the WTC final squad.
Veteran Wriddhiman Saha is another wicketkeeping option that the Indian thinktank might explore, but the it is unlikely to happen as the BCCI selection committee (then headed by Chetan Sharma) has told the former Bengal stumper that his doors to the Indian dressing room are closed.
Who Will Bat At No.6 For India?
With Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane chose themselves in the top five of the Indian batting order, India need someone at No.6 who could balance the innings.
Suryakumar Yadav, who made his Test debut for India in the BGT, is also an replacement option although he has played only one game in whites for India. It will be interesting to see whether India stick to Bharat at No.6 or name a replacement
Hardik Pandya An Option?
Another option, that the Rohit Sharma and Co. could possibly exploit, is drafting pace bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya in the playing XI considering the pacer-friendly conditions in England.
In case Bharat retains his place and Hardik comes in, India might have to play with two pacers. Hardik will act as a third pacer in the side. Among the pacers India have named in the WTC final squad against Australia, only Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj are fit so far and certain to make the playing XI.
While Umesh Yadav is reportedly nursing a hamstring injury, Shardul Thakur (pace bowling allrounder) is also not bowling regularly for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023 and had also missed few games because of injury.
Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, too injured his bowling shoulder at the LSG nets, and is racing against time to be fit before the WTC final.
India’s Test Squad WTC Final: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.
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