ICC Champions Trophy 2025: KL Rahul declines to play in England series

India National Cricket Team will be without the services of their key player, KL Rahul, in the white-ball series against the England National Cricket Team. As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that the keeper-batter has opted for rest in both the T20Is as well as the ODIs.

India National Cricket Team will be hosting England National Cricket Team for the five-match T20I series and the three-match ODI series. Following that, they will be playing the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played from 19th February to 9th March.

KL Rahul has confirmed his availability for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rahul has asked for a rest from the England series but has confirmed his availability for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. His demand for the rest comes after the hectic Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he played a key role for the India National Cricket Team while opening the innings.

A source close to BCCI confirmed the development related to KL Rahul and said: "He has sought a break for the England series, but he will be available for selection for the Champions Trophy."

Rahul looked in decent form in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as he was the third leading run-getter for the India National Cricket Team. The opening batter slammed 276 runs in 10 innings at an average of 30.66 to go with two half-centuries as well.

Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson are expected to be the two keepers in the Indian squad for the England series

Recently, some reports emerged that there is no certainty over KL Rahul's place in the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. But later, it was also reported that he is set to be the first-choice keeper-batter for the team in the high-profile tournament.

With Rahul set to miss the England series, it is expected that Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson will be two keepers in the team. The duo will be fighting for a place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as one among them is expected to be the second wicketkeeper for the India National Cricket Team.

KL Rahul has also opted to rest from Karnataka's matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Not only from the series against the England National Cricket Team, KL Rahul has also opted to rest from Karnataka's matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His state team will be playing in the quarterfinal over the weekend.

Rahul last played a white-ball game during the ODI series against the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team. He played the first two games of the series before he was dropped from the team and was replaced by Rishabh Pant. He was a crucial member of the team in the ICC World Cup 2023, as he played some impactful innings down the order.

KL Rahul played a bizarre innings in the final of the ICC World Cup 2023. However, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be a golden opportunity for him to redeem himself and help his team lift the tournament.

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