India’s cricket team coach, Rahul Dravid, has made it clear that KL Rahul will not function as both a wicketkeeper and batsman in the Test series against England. This series of five matches kicks off in Hyderabad on January 25.
In the past, Rahul took on wicketkeeping for two South Africa Tests. Plus, he was one of three wicketkeepers chosen for England’s home series.
However, talking to journalists on Tuesday, Dravid detailed the reasons KL Rahul won’t be playing dual roles in the coming series. He said:
“KL Rahul won’t be playing as a wicketkeeper in the series. I think we were quite clear about that from the selection itself. We had picked two others who could keep for us.”
Rahul Dravid
Despite having just played in 15 games in first-class cricket, young Dhruv Jurel has shown promise. This can lead the team management to have more trust in KS Bharat, the wicketkeeper, who just finished an outstanding hundred for India A against the England Lions.
KL Rahul to bat in middle order for India, fills Kohli’s gap
For personal reasons, Virat Kohli will not be included in the Indian team for the opening two Test matches against England. The question of who should replace him in the middle order has generated an intriguing discussion.
Even though Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, and even Cheteshwar Pujara’s names were circulating, India hasn’t formally named Kohli’s replacement as of yet. They may believe that KL Rahul can bat in the middle order based on this.
Rahul made a stunning return to the Test team last month on Boxing Day against South Africa, following his expulsion during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. In Centurion, he scored a scorching 101 runs in the opening innings under seaming conditions.
If given the chance, it will be intriguing to watch how Rahul handles the pressure of batting against possible rank-turners. Throughout the series, he may give middle-order players like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer some good competition.