BCCI has made a u-turn on KL Rahul
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- India face a tough call on the wicket-keeper batter spot
- BCCI has made a big call on KL Rahul
- India will play three ODIs against England before the 2025 Champions Trophy
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has seemingly made a big U-turn on KL Rahul before announcing India's ODI squad for the series against England as well as the 2025 Champions Trophy. There is an air of suspense over the squads due to the team playing just three ODIs in 2024 and the Rohit Sharma-led side's disastrous display in Test cricket in the New Zealand and Australia series.
While the date of India's squad announcement remains uncertain, it is expected that barring Jasprit Bumrah and possibly Mohammed Siraj, the same players will play the three ODI matches against England, who are part of the 2025 Champions Trophy squad.
However, it was recently reported that Rahul will miss the white-ball series against England after the BCCI decided to rest him, but the 32-year-old was assured of a place in the Champions Trophy squad.
A report by Times of India now claims that the Indian cricket governing body has changed its decision and asked Rahul to play the ODI series against England. The selectors are reported to have a rethink and decided to select him in the squad in order to gain match practice for the Champions Trophy.
Rahul has been India's first-choice wicket-keeper batter in ODI cricket since 2020 and is a vital part of the batting unit in the middle order. He has an extraordinary record at number five with an average of more than 57 and was a vital part of the Indian team that reached the final of the Cricket World Cup 2023. He also captained the team to an away series victory against South Africa in the ODI format just a month after the marquee tournament.
The second wicketkeeper spot in the Indian squad remains a big source of debate, with Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant competing to take the flight to Dubai. Samson scored a century in his last ODI outing for India but was dropped from the squad to face Sri Lanka last year. Pant has played just one ODI since his comeback.
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