India middle-order batter KL Rahul has been ruled out of the upcoming third Test against England later this week. He played in the first Test and right after the game, due to a quadriceps injury, was ruled out of the second Test. Alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul was also ruled out of the previous game early this month, which India won and leveled the series 1-1.
Meanwhile, when the Indian squad for the last three Tests was announced, Rahul and Jadeja were included in the team, subjected to fitness. The former has been ruled out of the Rajkot Test while the 2013 Champions Trophy winner is set to play. Talking about the right-hander’s replacement in the playing XI, Sarfaraz Khan, who got his maiden India call-up, might play.
Devdutt Padikkal might replace KL Rahul in the team
Rahul’s teammate in state cricket, Devdutt Padikkal has been in great form this season. The latter recently scored 151 against Tamil Nadu and a few other innings under his belt.
“South Africa was a great experience for me, in terms of having the chance to train with the seniors,” he had told ESPNcricinfo last month. “Being in and around them, playing that level of bowling prepares you well for the Ranji season. I looked at it as an opportunity to get volumes in, in terms of my batting. I’m grateful for that experience.”
“I don’t look at it in terms of just being an opener anymore,” he had said. “I’m enjoying my opportunities, wherever they may be. Each position you bat in offers a different challenge. I’m trying to learn new things, [and] adapt to situations. It helps me grow as a cricketer, [and] helps me understand the game a lot more – not just in terms of my batting but [also] how the game works across different phases.”
Squad for 3rd Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal
