KL Rahul ruled out of England tour, travel to abroad for injury treatment: In a big blow for the Indian team, senior opener batter KL Rahul has been ruled out of the upcoming tour of England after suffering a groin injury. The cricketer is likely to board a flight to Germany for his further treatment.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the development that KL Rahul will miss the entire England tour which comprises seven matches (1 Test, 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs).
“That is correct, the board is working on his fitness and he will be going to Germany soon,” said the BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
KL Rahul, who was named Rohit Sharma’s deputy for the England tour, will travel to Germany by the end of this month or early July for his further treatment.
Notably, the 30-years old batter was ruled out of the ongoing home T20I series against South Africa on the eve of the opening clash in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Rahul then headed to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) where the diagnosis by the medics suggested a further course of treatment.
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The Indian team will be one player short in the one-off test match against England, scheduled to be played at Edgbaston, starting July 1. As for now, the BCCI hasn’t announced any replacement for KL Rahul and is unlikely to do so unless the management asks them. In that case, Mayank Aggarwal is likely to be called in.
In Rahul’s absence, young Shubman Gill will handle the opening onus along with skipper Rohit Sharma.
The first batch of Indian players touring England boarded the plane earlier today (June 16). The likes of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Cheteshwar Pujara were among the first ones to depart.
Meanwhile, skipper Rohit Sharma will be having a slight delay in flying to England. Sharma is likely to accompany R Ashwin and other Indian players who are currently a part of the South Africa T20I series on June 20.
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