IND vs ENG – KL Rahul set to play as specialist batter with first choice wicketkeeper named

KL Rahul will be playing as a specialist batter during the upcoming five-match Test series against England. KS Bharat will be the Indian wicketkeeper for the first two games in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.

Advertisment

Dhruv Jurel is in the team as the third wicketkeeper option for India. But the team management wants the 30-year-old Bharat to be the lead wicketkeeper. The 31-year-old KL Rahul was India’s wicket-keeper during the recent series in South Africa. 

As per reports in the Times of India, the team management does not want to burden KL Rahul. It is also reported that the team is wary and apprehensive about Rahul keeping on the spin-friendly wickets. 

KS Bharat named as lead wicketkeeper –

Advertisment

KS Bharat is expected to be India's wicketkeeper in the first IND vs ENG Test in Hyderabad. The Indian Cricket Board has made this decision to let KL Rahul focus on his batting. The right-handed batter will play in the middle-order just like during the South African series.

As per a source from the Indian Cricket Board, who spoke to the Times of India, “Rahul will play as a specialist batter from now. While in overseas Tests you just have to stand back to the pacers, wicketkeeping in India, where spinners operate in tandem, isn’t easy. The ball can turn or bounce viciously on the spin-friendly home tracks. You have to keep moving up and down as the keeper. We want a specialist in the role.”

The source in question also cited the value KL Rahul adds as a batter. “Rahul, on the other hand, is one of our most valuable batting assets. We don’t want to burn him out by making him do the glovework as well. There is also a risk of him catching an injury while standing behind the stumps. Which we cannot afford, Bharat and Jurel will be our wicketkeepers in the series,” he added.

Finally, speaking about Dhruv Jurel, the source said to TOI, “Jurel is a talented wicketkeeper bat. We’ve been tracking this 22-year-old since the time he was playing for India under-19 team”. Shedding light on the Ishan Kishan situation, the source simply said “He wasn’t considered for the England series as he is yet to tell the board that he can be considered for selection again.”