Senior India batter KL Rahul will not feature in the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala owing to an injury while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will return to the team, the BCCI said on Thursday.
Rahul, who continues to feel sore in his right quadriceps, has travelled to London to get an expert opinion on his injury. The wicketkeeper-batter became unavailable after the series-opener in Hyderabad in January and as per the BCCI, he was 90 per cent fit before the third Test in Rajkot earlier this month.
Meanwhile Bumrah, who was released from the squad for the fourth Test in Ranchi in line with the team’s workload management policy, will link up with the squad in Dharamsala for the final Test, beginning March 7. India have already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead, following the victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Rahul’s absence from the final Test means Rajat Patidar remained with the squad but the MP batter can’t be sure of his place in the playing eleven, having aggregated only 63 runs in six innings. All-rounder Washington Sundar has also been released from the squad.
“He will join Tamil Nadu – his Ranji Trophy side – for their Ranji Trophy Semi-final fixture against Mumbai, starting March 2nd, 2024. He will join the India squad after the completion of the domesticfixture for the fifth Test, if need be,” the BCCI said.
Rahul needs to be fully fit before the IPL where he will lead Lucknow Super Giants and is expected to bat in the middle order to bolster his chances of making the India squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean. It is the same quadriceps injury that had sidelined Rahul for almost four months last year.
Having got injured during the IPL, Rahul returned to action during the Asia Cup in September last and made instant impact. In the Test tour of South Africa last year, Rahul was the only century-maker for India in the drawn series.
The BCCI also said senior pacer Mohammed Shami is recovering well after undergoing a surgery on February 26 for his right heel problem.