Leg and Off: Should India rest KL Rahul for IND vs ENG 2025 ODI series?

Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul could be set for an extended break after the Border-Gavaskar series. The selectors are considering resting the player by not including him for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, the sole pre-cursor to the 2025 Champions Trophy.

A report from the Times of India (TOI) on Friday (January 10), implied that the Karnataka batter will play directly in the ICC tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Rahul has been assured of his spot in the Champions Trophy. Hence, he will be rested from the England series,” a source tracking developments told TOI.

On that note, let us take a look into reasons why the decision to rest Rahul from the England ODI makes sense, and at the same time, why it does not.

#1 KL Rahul has played almost non-stop since the Sri Lanka tour

Barring the latter half of the home series against New Zealand, and the ODI series finale against Sri Lanka, KL Rahul has been heavily involved in Team India's longer formats fixtures since September. Right after the home season, he played an unofficial Test against Australia 'A', before playing all five Tests in the top order.

Initially slated to play in the middle-order, Rahul had to make a huge shift, particularly mentally even before the series began. He played the entire series in the top-order, often carrying it. The intense concentration, the mindset to play five matches in Australia against the new ball, and a relentless bowling attack, can be taxing on anybody.

While there were breaks in between the Tests, the pressure of the tour can often be crippling. It is only natural for players to have a little downtime after such a taxing series, especially when there is not much room for a break ahead in the schedule.

KL Rahul will play almost non-stop cricket for six months in the form of the Champions Trophy, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the red-ball tour of England.

#2 KL Rahul has done enough to be a guaranteed starter irrespective of form and game time

KL Rahul is certainly not the only huge figure that will be missing from the England ODIs, and then named in the Champions Trophy squad. When others have that luxury, why not him?

India are spoilt for choices when it comes to white-ball cricket, but they do not have many experienced middle-order batters. Rahul has been a revelation at No. 5, averaging 57.23, and being the link in the batting unit, marshalling through the middle-overs. Currently, there are not many experienced players that fit the profile.

When he is a sure-shot member of the playing XI for the Champions Trophy, even if he does not fare well in the England series, then that makes the process of playing him in those matches, a futile one. That period can be instead used to recover from a grueling tour, and switch to the white-ball mindset with practice.

#3 A rest from a three-match ODI series after a one-month break makes little sense

England's tour of India kickstarts with a five-match T20I series, while the ODI series will not begin until February 6. The Men in Blue's tour of Australia came to an end on January 5, which gives exactly a month-long break for the players involved in the 50-over setup to rest and recharge.

KL Rahul has already opted out of the Vijay Hazare knockouts, and resting him from the England ODIs, will mean that his first contest after a significant break will be the group-stage contest against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy.

That seems like a huge gamble, especially when KL Rahul's tricky track record is taken into account. The need for a break amid a tight schedule is understandable, but only to an extent where it makes sense.

If the ODI series were right after the Border-Gavaskar series, then the call for rest was a justified one. However, that is not the case here, there is a significant break between the two series.

A three-match run against a competitive side against England comes across as the perfect prep for a batter to get into the groove ahead of an international assignment, an opportunity that is being ignored by the management and players at their own peril.

#4 India do not have much games in hand to practice for the Champions Trophy

From India's perspective, there are only three ODIs to fine-tune their setup ahead of the Champions Trophy. They last played an ODI in August 2024, and they only played three matches in the format the entire year.

Heading into a major tournament, India have a lot of conundrums to address regarding the opening combination, the form of the players, and the composition of the bowling unit.

Among this, there is an added concern about the first-choice wicket-keeping candidate. Rishabh Pant offers a lucrative option as a left-handed batter who can don the gloves too, compared to KL Rahul, who has not kept wickets in a while. It seems downright impossible to include all three of Iyer, Rahul, and Pant, followed by the two all-rounders in the playing XI, if India wish to have six bowling options.

This is why having the entire squad for the ODI series preceding the competition was crucial. It was the right avenue to tinker with the combination until the right one can be found. Instead, India head into the Champions Trophy blindfolded, and might fall into the trap of preferring reputation over form and balance.