ENG v IND 2021: KL Rahul to don keeping gloves in India’s warm-up game against County Select XI

Regular wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha won’t be able to take the field.

Team India will play a three-day practice match against County Select XI as part of their preparations for the upcoming five-Test series against England.

For the warm-up fixture, starting July 20 in Durham, KL Rahul will keep wickets as Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha won’t be able to take the field.

See Also: Rishabh Pant to join Team India in Durham on July 21 after recovering from COVID-19

During the three-week break after the WTC final, Pant and training assistant Dayanand Garani had contracted COVID-19. While the southpaw has spent time in isolation, he is yet to join the team's bio-bubble.

On the other hand, Saha will be under quarantine till July 24 after he came in close contact with Garani.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official confirmed that "KL Rahul will keep wickets in the warm-up match from July 20-22".

"Once Pant's test results come negative and he is cleared by BCCI medical team, he will join the bubble," the official, aware of the development, further said.

The loss of regular wicketkeepers is the latest addition to India’s woes in the ongoing tour of England. The visitors have already lost Shubman Gill, at least for the opening Test, owing to shin injury.

In Gill’s absence, Mayank Agarwal will open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma against a Select County XI that will be led by Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes and include names such as James Bracey and Haseeb Hameed, who have represented England in the longest format. 

This is India's only warm-up match ahead of the five-Test series against England, slated to get underway on August 4 at Trent Bridge.

Squads:

Indians: Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, R. Ashwin, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav; Standby players: Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla

Unavailable for India: Wriddhiman Saha, Rishabh Pant and Abhimanyu Easwaran (standby) are in isolation while Shubman Gill is injured.

County Select XI: Will Rhodes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Aspinwell, Ethan Bamber, James Bracey, Jack Carson, Zak Chappell, Haseeb Hameed, Lyndon James, Jake Libby, Craig Miles, Liam Patterson-White, James Rew, Rob Yates.

(With IANS inputs)