NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has announced that KL Rahul will miss the third test against England due to fitness issues. Devdutt Padikkal will replace him in the squad against England. Rahul, with 50 tests and eight centuries to his name, was sidelined for the second test due to an injury.
According to the BCCI statement, Rahul has achieved 90% match fitness and is recuperating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to ensure readiness for the fourth and fifth tests.
This absence marks the second significant loss for India after Virat Kohli withdrew from the series for personal reasons. England’s spinner Jack Leach will also be absent due to a knee injury. Padikkal, though experienced in T20 cricket, is yet to make his test debut. With the series level at 1-1, the third test commences in Rajkot on Thursday.
