The Indian WK-batter KL Rahul is set to miss the final test against England at Dharamsala.
KL Rahul likely to miss fifth test
The middle-order batsman KL Rahul is unlikely to miss the final match of England’s tour of India 2024 as he continues to feel soreness in his quadriceps.
The 31-year-old batter has become unavailable after the first match of the ongoing series. However, as per the BCCI statement, Rahul was 90% fit ahead of the third test and was expected to play in the final three tests.
But he was sidelined in the third and fourth tests. India clinched the series with their five-wicket victory in the Ranchi test.
He has traveled to London to get an expert opinion on his injury and it is expected that he will miss the final test at Dharamsala. The BCCI expects him to be fully fit before the upcoming IPL season and T20 World Cup 2024.
”It is more to get an expert opinion (travel to London). He experiences a bit of pain (right quadriceps) while batting. It is to ensure that he recovers fully as he is a player that the team needs long-term.
”There is so much competition coming his way — IPL, he could also be in the T20 World Cup mix. Then we have some important Test series against New Zealand, and Australia later in the year. So, it is better to give him time to recover properly than rushing him,” an IPL source told PTI.
KL Rahul’s quadriceps injury has a long history for which he underwent surgery last year. While missing several months from action, he returned to action for the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.
During the first test against England, KL Rahul complained of stiffness but gave importance to the side.
He will lead the Lucknow Super Giants squad in the upcoming IPL season. LSG will be playing their first match of the IPL 2024 schedule against Rajasthan on March 24.
Recently the franchise brought in Shamar Joseph as a replacement for Mark Wood as the England board withdrew the player to manage his workload.
Coming to the test series, India and England will be playing their final test match starting on March 07 at HPCA Stadium, Dharmasala.
