The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are caught in a fix following the lack of clarity surrounding KL Rahul’s injury ahead of the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamshala, scheduled to begin from March 7 onwards. The right-handed batter has been unavailable for selection since the first Test in Hyderabad.
According to the Times of India, KL Rahul flew to the United Kingdom to obtain a better understanding of his ailment, while team management waited for the report before deciding on his selection for the final test. Team India, which is already short on choices, only has under-fire batsman Rajat Patidar as a possible middle-order candidate.
The team management has apparently been perplexed by the scenario, as scans have revealed no specific concern with KL Rahul’s quadricep.
However, the athlete is still worried about his muscle, particularly after undergoing surgery last year following an injury in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). With a significant gap between the fourth and fifth tests, management hopes to resolve the issue by March 2.
“The medical team thought Rahul was good to go for the last three Tests. But he complained of discomfort. He is a bit concerned about it. He has endured a heavy workload while keeping wickets in the World Cup and the Test series in South Africa,” a BCCI source told TOI.
“Multiple scans have been done on his quads. While there is nothing very concerning, some inflammation has been noted. The reports were sent to the doctor who treated him in England. Eventually, the doctor asked him to travel to England so that he could personally check what’s wrong with Rahul,” the source added.
With the last Test after the Ranji Trophy semi-finals, the team’s management is hesitant to release Rajat Patidar. If Rajat Patidar is unavailable and KL Rahul has not recovered, the Men in Blue will be left with no choices, with uncapped Devdutt Padikkal serving as the sole option.
“Ideally, the team management would want to see Patidar go back to play the Ranji semifinal and find some form. But that depends on Rahul’s availability. If KL Rahul is unavailable then he may be asked to stay back with the team. Even if Devdutt Padikkal makes his debut in the last Test, the team management needs an extra batter in the team as a concussion substitute,” the source said.
Although Team India won the series with one game to spare, they will be looking to make the most of their home series in the World Test Championship (WTC). The Men in Blue won the two-match series in the West Indies by a 1-0 score, while they drew 1-1 in South Africa.
“My tendon ripped apart from my quadricep” – KL Rahul on his major injury in 2023
Given that KL Rahul is now in Team India’s wicket-keeping pool for both ODIs and Tests, his reoccurring quadriceps ailment is a major issue. Even if he had played the full series against England, he would not have kept the wickets, as the team management expected, given his workload and the forthcoming 2024 IPL season.
He has spoken openly about his injuries upon his recovery in mid-2023.
“I got injured while trying to chase a ball and my tendon snapped. I had a full-fledged tear, my tendon ripped apart from my quadricep. So when it happened, I was obviously me, my family, the franchise, the team, everybody had their fingers crossed hoping that wasn’t a big tear, it was a small strain or I could get better in a couple of weeks.”
BCCI Official
The injury forced the wicket-keeper batsman to miss the second part of the 2023 IPL season, as well as the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval.