KL Rahul likely to miss T20I series against West Indies: Reports

Experienced Team India batter KL Rahul is set to miss the five-match T20I series against West Indies, which begins on July 29. The 30-year-old's participation has been in doubt ever since BCCI president Sourav Ganguly revealed a few days back that the batter had tested positive for COVID-19.

Having undergone surgery for a sports hernia in late June, Rahul was recuperating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. When the Indian selectors named the squad for the T20I series against the Windies, they included Rahul but made it clear that his availability would be subject to fitness.

A source confirmed the development to TOI and stated that the BCCI will not be sending a replacement for him. The source was quoted as saying:

"Rahul needs rest for another fortnight to recover completely from Covid. However, it is unlikely that a replacement for him will be sent to the West Indies. Either Rishabh Pant or Ishan Kishan can open with Rohit. There's no point in sending someone now.”

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, depending on the tests, Rahul could have been available for the last two T20Is, which will be played in the USA on August 6 and 7. However, as per the latest developments, he is likely to skip the entire tour and instead focus on the ODI series in Zimbabwe.

It was earlier reported that, if fit, Rahul could even lead the team in the ODIs in Zimbabwe, which will be played in Harare from August 18 to 22.

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Frustrating wait for KL Rahul’s comeback

A crucial component of the Indian team across formats, Rahul hasn’t played for India since the ODI series against West Indies at home in February this year.

He led the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during IPL 2022, after which he was named captain for the five-match T20I series against South Africa at home. However, on the eve of the first game, he was ruled out of the entire series due to a groin injury. Subsequently, Rishabh Pant led the team against the Proteas.

Rahul was also forced to miss the entire tour of England and instead headed to Germany for his surgery.

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