KL Rahul not fit to return for third Test, Devdutt Padikkal called up as replacement

It was hoped that Rahul, who missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a quadricep injury, would recover in time for the third Test in Rajkot

Drew Murphy | 12/02/2024 at 15:07

KL Rahul will miss the third Test against England, with Devdutt Padikkal being called up to replace him.

It was hoped that Rahul, who missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a quadricep injury, would recover in time for the third Test in Rajkot.

However, Rahul has been ruled out and will remain at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Tests.

Padikkal has been called up for the first time as his replacement.

The 23-year-old left-hander has scored 556 runs in six innings, averaging 92.66 in this season's Ranji Trophy. He has scored three centuries, including a 193 against Punjab, and has also impressed for India A against the touring England Lions, with scores of 65, 21, and 105.

Padikkal most recently scored 151 and 36 in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy that finished on Monday.

padikkal120201

^{Padikkal has joined up with the squad (Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images)}

It is unknown whether Ravindra Jadeja has recovered from his hamstring injury that he suffered in the first Test. Jadeja remains in the squad to play in Rajkot, his home ground, but he is pending fitness clearance.

Sarfaraz Khan is another uncapped batter in the mix for selection and with Jadeja's potential fitness issue, there may be space for a Test debutant in the third Test.

Rahul's absence from the squad adds to the limited batting experience as Virat Kohli announced he would not be playing due to personal reasons, and Shreyas Iyer has been left out for the remaining three Tests.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal

Subscribers get exclusive access to the best analysis of England's Test tour of India from our chief correspondent George Dobell. Join them by signing up here for just £3.99!