Report: KL Rahul removed from wicketkeeping role for Tests series vs England

According to sources, India’s star batter, KL Rahul, has been removed from the wicketkeeping role for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which is scheduled to start on January 25 in Hyderabad. Notably, the Indian Cricket Board revealed that the selection committee is looking for KS Bharat to take on the gloves duties in the upcoming Test series against Ben Stokes-led England.

The middle-order batter sets to play as the specialist batter from now on in the team. In addition, the sources confirm that Rahul will not be the wicketkeeper as he is an important batter for Team India, and they do not want to overburden him by giving him wicketkeeping duties. Moreover, the reports claim that the LSG skipper might get the injury from wicketkeeping duties, which the team can’t afford ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.

“Rahul will play as a specialist batter from now on. While in overseas Tests you just have to stand back to the pacers, wicketkeeping in India, where spinners operate in tandem, isn’t easy. Rahul, on the other hand, is one of our most valuable batting assets. We don’t want to burn him out by making him do the glovework as well. There is also the chance of him catching an injury while standing behind the stumps, which we can’t afford. Bharat and Dhruv Jurel will be our wicketkeepers in this series,” some sources said being quoted by Hindustan Times.

Team India has many quality spinners, and the team won’t take any chances: Report

Meanwhile, a few sources claimed that there will be a plethora of spinners in the upcoming Test series, as Team India pitchers used to have more turns.

“The Indian team will once again be playing on a turner track, and the team management felt that specialist spinners should handle the job at home. The team has many quality spinners, and the team won’t take any chances, especially when the pitch being offered will be a turner,” a source from the Indian Cricket Board told the paper.