KL Rahul is not playing Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final. Photo: BCCI
Karnataka are facing Baroda in the quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Saturday (January 11). Mayank Agarwal is leading Karnataka while Krunal Pandya is the captain of Baroda. Mayank and Devdutt Padikkal are two capped players in Karnataka's team while Krunal is the only capped player in Baroda. The fans were expecting KL Rahul to turn up for Karnataka in the all-important game but that didn't happen.
Rahul has often played for Karnataka when he is not on national duty. With Karnataka facing Baroda in a must-win game, Rahul's presence would have been a big boost for the former champions. But he isn't part of the squad.
Rahul has opted for rest after his return from Australia and he is set to miss the Ranji Trophy as well. The Times of India has reported that Rahul could also be rested for the white-ball series against England. Though he is confirmed to be named in the Champions Trophy squad.
It is unlikely that the BCCI will rest one of the senior players from the England ODIs before the all-important ICC event. He has been out of the T20I squad since the 2022 T20 World Cup and isn't in contention to make a return for the shortest format.
Rahul was India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman at the 2023 ODI World Cup and looks set to retain his place behind the wickets. Rishabh Pant is likely to be the second wicketkeeper in the team.
KL Rahul's performance in Australia
Rahul had a decent Australia tour and he scored 276 runs in the five-match series. The former India vice-captain kicked off the series with knocks of 26 and 77 and retained his opening position even when captain Rohit Sharma returned.
Rahul continued to open the innings in the next 2 Tests. He batted at number 3 in the fourth Test at MCG. He returned to open the innings in the fifth Test match.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Cricket, Sports and around the world.
