India Vs England Test Series: India have dealt a major blow in their conquest of winning the Test series against England as KL Rahul has been ruled out of the third Test match due to injury. Fellow Karnataka batter Devdutt Paddikal has been named as the replacement for the right-handed wicketkeeper batsman, and can much likely be seen in the playing XI as well.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Monday, released an official statement, stating the absence of the star batsman and adding that there can be a chance for the Karnataka-based batter to feature in remaining Tests as he has attained 90% match fitness.
"KL Rahul, whose availability for the remaining three Tests was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the third Test against England in Rajkot. Mr. Rahul has reached 90 per cent of match fitness and is progressing well under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team. He will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test. The Men’s Selection Committee named Devdutt Padikkal as KL Rahul’s replacement for the third Test, starting February 15, 2024," read the official statement.
KL Rahul's Incredible Red-Ball Career In A Nutshell
KL Rahul, who made his debut in 2014 against Australia, has toppled bowlers after bowlers in his near-decade career and has been lauded as a highly reliable and a classy batsman. Fans have even gone on to name him 'KLassy Rahul' and that in itself is very befitting with his game play and technical ability, as he is one of most technically-sound batters India has ever produced. In his 87 innings so far, the Karnataka batter has amassed 2949 runs, with an average of 34.69 and has 8 tons to his name.