India’s star batter KL Rahul confirmed on Friday that he would miss the World Test Championship final against Australia next month after picking a hamstring injury during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
Rahul who leads Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League, injured his hamstring after he dived to stop a boundary during Lucknow Super Giants’ match against Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this month, and while he did come to bat following the ninth wicket of LSG’s innings, he had visible discomfort in running between the wickets.
He was also seen as a potential option as wicketkeeper for India in the WTC 2023 final in the Oval, even with KS Bharat being in the squad as the first-choice keeper.
Rahul’s experience of playing in England and Bharat’s poor returns with the bat in the home Test series against Australia was the reason behind him being looked at as keeper for this one-off match.
If You Want A Man-To-Man Replacement, You Can’t Get Any Closer To Pant Than Ishan Kishan: Amol Mazumdar
However Indian domestic cricket stalwart Amol Mazumdar believes that Rahul was never an option because the English conditions are harder for a wicketkeeper. Interestingly, Muzumdar said Ishan Kishan should be picked instead as a backup keeper and who could potentially make it into the XI.
“I’ll stick with what I said. You need genuine keeper who can bat a little. KL Rahul was never an option, for me, at least, in Test matches. It’s okay for T20 or a fifty-over match, but for Test – especially in England – where the ball nibbles around, you need a genuine keeper,” Muzumdar told ESPNCricinfo.
“Looking at the situation, what has happened to Rahul is unfortunate. But I would be inclined to include Ishan Kishan in the team, looking at his form. Why we talked about KL Rahul and KS Bharat… is because of the unfortunate incident to Rishabh Pant. Now, if you want a man-to-man replacement, you can’t get any closer to Pant than Ishan Kishan. So, he comes into my team. He should be included,” Muzumdar further said.
The final takes place between June 7-11 at the Oval in London.