India coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that KL Rahul will not play the upcoming Test series against England as a wicketkeeper.
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India’s much-awaited five-match home Test series against England starts on January 25 in Hyderabad. Three wicketkeepers have been named in India’s squad for the first two Tests, including KL Rahul, KS Bharat, and Dhruv Jurel, leading to a lot of speculations around who would don the gloves.
Rahul, who made his wicketkeeping debut in Test cricket during India’s last Test series in South Africa, however, has been struck off as a candidate for the role in the upcoming series against England.
Speaking in a press conference today (January 23), Dravid said that Rahul won’t play the England Test series as a wicketkeeper: “KL Rahul will not play as wicketkeeper in Test series against England considering the conditions and duration of the series.”
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Rahul impressed behind the stumps during the South Africa Test series. (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)[/caption]
Rahul has been keeping wickets for India in ODIs since 2020 and has shown a marked improvement lately. His stellar run during the 2023 World Cup gave the Indian management the confidence to try him out as a wicketkeeper in the Test series against South Africa where he excelled.
However, Rahul has not kept wickets in Test matches in India and there were question marks over his abilities and endurance to do so on turning tracks against the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. With Dravid confirming that he will not be considered as a wicketkeeper but solely as a batter, either Bharat or Jurel will have to stand behind the stumps for India.
Bharat has played five Test matches so far, all against Australia and has been impressive as a wicketkeeper but has failed to score big runs. Jurel, on the other hand, is uncapped and was not widely expected to be selected for the series.
The first Test starts in Hyderabad from January 25.
