KL Rahul’s comeback delayed by soreness

PTI

New Delhi, February 28

Senior India batter KL Rahul is unlikely to feature in the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala as he hasn’t fully recovered from his right quadriceps injury.

Rahul became unavailable after the series-opener in Hyderabad in January but as per BCCI, he was 90 per cent fit before the third Test in Rajkot earlier this month.

Rahul has now travelled to London to get an expert’s opinion on his injury and with the series in the bag, the team management will not take the risk of playing him in the Dharamsala Test beginning March 7.

He needs to be fully fit before the IPL, where he will lead Lucknow Super Giants, and is expected to bat in the middle-order to bolster his chances of making the India squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean.

“It is more to get an expert opinion (travel to London). He experiences a bit of pain (right quadriceps) while batting. It is to ensure that he recovers fully as he is a player that team needs for the long-term. There is so much competition coming his way — IPL, he could also be in the T20 World Cup mix. Then we have some important Test series against New Zealand, and Australia later in the year. So, it is better to give him time to recover properly than rushing him,” an IPL source said.

It is the same quadriceps injury that had sidelined Rahul for almost four months last year.

Meanwhile, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the Ranchi Test, is expected to lead the attack at the HPCA Stadium. The series is sealed but every Test match offers crucial World Test Championship points and Bumrah can play a big part in the cooler climes. India are second in the standings with five wins, two losses and a draw. New Zealand lead the table with a winning percentage of 75 but they have only played four Tests.

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