KL Rahul is said to be unavailable for the upcoming third Test against England in Rajkot, commencing on Thursday, February 15. Devdutt Padikkal, Rahul’s Karnataka teammate, is expected to take his place.
Although both Rahul and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were named in the squad for the remaining three Tests against England, the BCCI explicitly mentioned that their participation would depend on fitness clearance from the medical team.
As per The Indian Express, KL Rahul has not demonstrated complete fitness, whereas Jadeja has received approval to participate in the third Test at his home ground in Rajkot. The report mentioned that the medical team will monitor Rahul for another week before making a decision on his availability.
The 31-year-old was absent from the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to discomfort in his right quadriceps. Rahul had recorded a score of 86 in the first innings of the initial Test in Hyderabad and managed 22 in the second innings.
Regarding Padikkal, who is expected to fill in for Rahul in the third Test against England, he posted scores of 151 and 36 in the recent Ranji Trophy 2024 match against Tamil Nadu in Chennai, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar observing from the stands. The match concluded in a thrilling draw on Monday, February 12.
Previously, the left-hander showcased his form with a score of 193 against Punjab and 103 against Goa. Additionally, he delivered noteworthy performances in the two unofficial Tests against England Lions, recording scores of 105, 65, and 21.
Devdutt Padikkal recently discussed his return to form
Following his remarkable century for Karnataka against Tamil Nadu while batting at the No. 3 spot, he confidently stated that he had no concerns about batting either at one-down or opening.
“It’s just the way our team is set up. I don’t mind batting at No.3 and I don’t mind opening either. So that doesn’t really make a huge difference. So I just want to make sure wherever I bat, I contribute to the team,” he was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.
Padikkal’s form and fitness had been impacted by an intestinal issue in the last two years. Nevertheless, he appears to have recovered his batting form with some excellent performances in the current season.
“To be honest, in the last couple of years I wasn’t doing too well. My performances were naturally dipping because of that.”
“But I was always confident enough that I’d be back scoring runs at some point. Now that I’m back in terms of my fitness and health completely, I’m really happy I’m back scoring runs as well,” the 23-year-old asserted.
In the ongoing Ranji Trophy, the Karnataka batsman has accumulated 556 runs in six innings, achieving three centuries.
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