India batter KL Rahul has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia due to a thigh injury, BCCI confirmed on Monday (May 8).
Rahul sustained the injury during LSG’s IPL 2023 clash against RCB earlier this month. He was chasing the ball to stop it from going towards the boundary before pulling up.
“KL Rahul suffered an injury to his right upper thigh while fielding during Match 43rd of TATA IPL 2023 between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore on 1st May. After consultations with specialists, it has been decided that Rahul will undergo surgery at the earliest followed by rehab at the National Cricket Academy for the same. He is ruled out of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia,” BCCI said in a statement.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ishan Kishan as KL Rahul’s replacement.
In its official release, the Indian board provided update on the injury status of fast bowlers – Jaydev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav.
“Jaydev Unadkat sustained a left shoulder injury by tripping over the side rope while bowling in the nets. A specialist consultation has been sought and the left-arm fast bowler is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru undergoing strength and rehab sessions for his shoulder. A decision on his participation in the WTC final will be taken at a later stage,” the statement read.
“Umesh Yadav sustained a minor left hamstring injury during Match 36 of TATA IPL 2023 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on 26 April. The fast bowler is currently under the care of the KKR Medical Team and has started low-intensity bowling as part of his rehab process. The BCCI Medical Team is in regular touch with KKR Medical Team and is closely monitoring Umesh’s progress,” it added.
The BCCI also named Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, and Suryakumar Yadav as standby players for the WTC final, slated to be held at the Oval in London from June 7 to 11.
India’s squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Standby players: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav.
