KL Rahul is likely to miss the first Test against Sri Lanka at Mohali, beginning on March 4 at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. It may be recalled that KL Rahul was ruled out of the T20I series against the West Indies with a hamstring injury.
Indian vice-captain KL Rahul could miss both the T20I and Test series and all-rounder Washington Sundar could well end up missing the Test series against Sri Lanka. In KL Rahul’s stead, Mayank Agarwal could get to open while pacers Prasidh Krishna and Ishan Porel could also come into the Test setup.
KL Rahul Likely To Miss 1st Test And Is Doubtful For 2nd Test Too
KL Rahul missed out on the ongoing T20I series and the last ODI against the West Indies due to an injury. Washington Sundar also sustained an injury that had ruled him out of last season’s IPL but he made a comeback recently in the ODI series against the Windies before again missing the subsequent T20Is.
“Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on 9th February 2022 while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury,” said the BCCI in a statement prior to the T20I series.
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements,” the statement added.
Prasidh Krishna was impressive in the ODI series against West Indies where he won the Player of the Series award. So far in 6 ODIs, he picked 15 wickets with an average of 18.26 and an economy of 5.07. He was very economical and effective with the ball and his style of bowling is quite conducive in Tests.
Now, some reports have suggested that KL Rahul might after all not be ready for the Mohali Test, and could even miss the second Day-Night Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, starting on March 12.
Against this backdrop, the selectors might ask Rohit Sharma to lead in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Reports have suggested that the selectors are looking at KL Rahul as a long-term option as Test captain and he could assume charge in one of the later series.
Virat Kohli Could Skip Upcoming T20Is Against Sri Lanka Where Ravindra Jadeja And Jasprit Bumrah May Return
Earlier it has emerged that Virat Kohli could skip India’s upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka next month while the other frontline players like Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah might return to the side. But Virat Kohli could return for the Test series that succeeds the T20Is and could play his 100th Test in Mohali, the first Test of the series.
Ravindra Jadeja is recuperating from an injury that he suffered in December last year, which made him sit out of the entire tour to South Africa and the home white-ball series against the West Indies. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was part of the India squad that toured South Africa and played all three Tests and ODIs. But he was given rest for the ODIs and T20Is against West Indies at home.
India will play T20Is against Sri Lanka on February 24, 26 and 27 at Lucknow and Dharamsala. In addition, the Test captain is due to be announced and it’s likely to be Rohit Sharma, who will have the responsibility in all three formats if named the skipper. Ex-skipper Virat Kohli might end up taking a break from the T20I series against Sri Lanka but return for his 100th Test match in Mohali.