In a recent announcement, Bharat’s head coach Rahul Dravid revealed that batter KL Rahul will not be taking up the role of wicketkeeper in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. The series is set to kick off in Hyderabad, with subsequent matches to be played in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala.
Dravid acknowledged Rahul’s exceptional performance behind the stumps but emphasized the squad’s depth in wicketkeeping talent. Apart from Rahul, Bharat has included two other proficient wicketkeepers, KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel, in the squad.
The decision to exclude Rahul from wicketkeeping duties was influenced by the series’ duration and the prevailing weather conditions. Dravid clarified that the selection for the wicketkeeper position would be between the other two designated keepers due to the demanding nature of a five-match Test series.
“Rahul won’t be playing as a wicketkeeper in the series. We had picked two others who could keep for us. Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa, but considering five Test matches and playing in these conditions, the selection will be between the two other keepers we have,” stated Dravid during a pre-match press conference.
Bharat will also be without star batter Virat Kohli for the first two Tests against England, as he requested withdrawal from the squad due to personal reasons. Veteran batter Rohit Sharma will lead the team, with the experienced Jasprit Bumrah serving as the vice-captain.
The pace attack for Bharat will feature Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar in the 16-member squad for the initial two Tests. The selected squad includes Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), KS Bharat (Wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), and Avesh Khan.
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