Rajkot: In a significant boost to the Indian cricket team, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been included in the squad for the remaining three Tests against England. Both players have successfully recovered from their respective injuries – Rahul from a quadriceps injury and Jadeja from a hamstring issue – that had sidelined them during the Test in Visakhapatnam. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) emphasized that their participation is contingent upon clearance from the medical team.
The return of Rahul and Jadeja injects valuable experience into the Indian side, which is grappling with the absence of key players. Notably, pace spearhead Mohammed Shami remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury sustained at the end of last year’s World Cup campaign. Former captain Virat Kohli is also absent from the series due to a family emergency.
Another notable omission from the squad is Shreyas Iyer, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the series due to back stiffness. Having faced back-related issues in the past 12 months, the 29-year-old will be replaced by Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan in the middle order.
In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj makes a return to the squad after being rested for the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Mukesh Kumar retains his spot, but Avesh Khan has been released, making way for the inclusion of Akash Deep. Saurabh Kumar, who was in the squad in the absence of Jadeja, has been released following the all-rounder’s return.
The upcoming third Test, with the series tied at 1-1, is scheduled to commence on February 15 in Rajkot.
The selected squad for the final three Tests includes Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep.