When India picked their squad for the first of the two-match series against Bangladesh in Chennai, they called back their veteran wicket-keeper opening batter, KL Rahul, the side who missed the four red-ball games against England after the Hyderabad Test with injury. However, Sarfaraz Khan, who debuted for the rest of the series, has performed pretty well.
The toss-up for them is likely to be between these two players. When KL Rahul played for India in South Africa, he notched up an impressive century at the SuperSport Park. Sarfaraz has notched up 200 runs in three games of the home series.
It has been reported that India’s main aim is towards the upcoming five-match series in Australia, and the experience of 50 games for the Karnataka-born has kept him higher in the rank. Sarfaraz, on the other hand, is a fearless and flamboyant player who is risk-free and doesn’t carry any baggage.
“For people on the outside, they don’t understand how a team works and what are the systems in place. In his last three Test matches, KL scored a century in South Africa, one of the best Test knocks in recent times, and 86 at Hyderabad in the last Test he played before injury.” The BCCI source revealed, to PTI, about the selection.
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“He (KL Rahul) was not dropped but got injured. So, he is fit and available, scored a fifty in Duleep, got match time, and he will start.” The source remarked.
The record of KL Rahul in the longest format is quite decent, with 2863 runs in 50 games at an average of 34.08, celebrating 14 half-centuries and eight centuries. There have been past instances where he has won the game for India with his overseas centuries.
“Sarfaraz has done everything right, and mind it, if there is an injury anywhere, he will just walk in but, Rahul’s experience is irreplaceable. And the team management is not just looking at Bangladesh, they are looking at Australia where previous experience matters.” The source highlighted in the conversation with PTI.
KL Rahul started his red-ball career in Australia when he notched up a century on his second game in Sydney, but missed the 2018/19 summer with off form and then the 2020-21 trip due to injury. Now, having done well outside India, he is bound to get a place in the Test side.
The same story is going on with Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel. The latter did well in the absence of the Delhi-born, but once Pant returns to the red-ball, he is anyway going to retain his place in the team.
Amidst KL Rahul’s selection, India keeps Musheer Khan for plans
The 19-year-old Musheer Khan has also done a very good job in his short first-class career, having scored a double-century in the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai and then managing a 181-run knock against India A during the first round of the Duleep Trophy 2024 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
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Along with India’s senior men’s side’s trip to Australia during winter, the India A Programme will also start as they are expected to play three first-class games against Australia A. The selectors have been planning to keep Musheer for those three games, and if he does well, a promotion to the senior side for their upcoming five-match series against England 2025 could be a possibility.
But, for now, against Bangladesh, KL Rahul is expected to walk at number five, and if he fails, Sarfaraz Khan will wait for his chance.