Indian team suffered a massive loss on Monday during IPL’s LCG vs RCB game when LCG’s captain KL Rahul got injured. The WTC final is almost knocking at the door and India will face Australia in June. The WTC final will take place in the Oval from June 7 to 15 where India will take over Australia. KL Rahul injured his thigh while fielding, and now as per BCCI, he will undergo thigh surgery.
The National Cricket Academy will take care of Rahul’s injury. With this, Rahul will be sidelined for the upcoming WTC final. Now according to BCCI Rahul is not the only one who has been dropped from India’s squad for WTC due to injury. Pacer Jaydev Unadkat also injured his left shoulder during net practice in the IPL. And is currently undergoing rehab and strength sessions. His participation in the team is doubtful as the BCCI is yet to take a final call.
Pacer Umesh Yadav also suffered from a minor left hamstring during the IPL game between RCB and KKR on April 26. Currently, Umesh is under the supervision of KKR’s medical team and has started taking part in short net sessions. The BCCI medical team is in constant touch with the KKR medical team and is monitoring Umesh’s progress.
Meanwhile, the ICC has named wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan. As a replacement for the injured KL Rahul for the upcoming world test championship final. With this, Ishan Kishan is in line to make his Test debut for India. Ishan Kishan has been included as the second wicket-keeper option. As KS Bharat is already part of the squad as the primary wicket-keeper batsman.
WTC Final squad for India
BCCI has announced the 15 men’s squad for the WTC final led by Rohit Sharma. Ajinkya Rahane is also a part of the team. As he made a comeback to the team based on his performance in IPL 2023. The BCCI has also named three standby players for the WTC final. Ruturaj Gaikwad has picked up as the backup opener for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Surya Kumar Yadav is second on the list to solve India’s batting middle-order issue. Mukesh Kumar, who was earlier a part of the Test squad is also on course to make his Test debut.
India’s squad for WTC Final: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (C), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (WK), Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Md Shami, Md Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (WK).
Standby Players: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, Surya Kumar Yadav.
Conclusion
The news of KL Rahul’s injury has come as a significant blow to the Indian cricket team. Especially with the World Test Championship final against Australia just around the corner. The injury of Jaydev Unadkat and the recent hamstring strain of Umesh Yadav has further added to the team’s woes. However, the Indian cricket board has been quick to announce a replacement for Rahul in the form of wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan.
The Indian cricket board made a good decision by adding Ishan Kishan to the team. He’s been playing well lately in the IPL. This is also a chance for him to play in his first Test game, which is a longer version of cricket. It will be exciting to see how he does and how he can help the Indian team score more runs!
The announcement of the 15-man squad for the World Test Championship final has also raised a few eyebrows. The inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane, who made a comeback to the team based on his performance in the IPL. It’s a good move, considering his experience and leadership qualities. The selection of three standby players also provides the team with some much-needed backup options.
The Indian cricket team has a tough task ahead of them with the World Test Championship final against Australia looming large. However, the inclusion of Ishan Kishan and the experienced players in the squad provides the team with a fighting chance. It will be interesting to see how the team performs in the final. But Indian cricket fans will be hoping for a positive result.
