IND vs ENG: KL Rahul To Be Relieved Of Wicketkeeping Duties, Ishan Kishan And KS Bharat In Contention

The Indian team management faces a significant decision concerning the wicketkeeping role in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Team India is set to host Ben Stokes & Co. for the series, scheduled to commence later this month.

India have used three different wicketkeepers in their last three Test assignments. With Rishabh Pant sidelined after being involved in a road accident, India have not managed to have a settled wicketkeeper for the Test side. During the home series and the World Test Championship final against Australia last year, KS Bharat was given the responsibility to lead the team.

However, he was dropped from the playing eleven when India locked horns against West Indies. Ishan Kishan was given the chance to debut in Tests and he kept the wickets in both the games of the series. He was expected to don the wicketkeeping gloves against South Africa as well but pulled out of the Test series at the last moment. The Indian team management had to give the responsibility to KL Rahul for the two-match series against the Proteas.

India’s wicketkeeper for the series against England:

India are yet to announce their squad for the series against England. As of now, there is little clarity about who will be the wicketkeeper in the series. According to a report in Cricbuzz, KL Rahul is likely to be relieved from the dual responsibilities of wicket-keeping and batting.

One of the reasons behind not giving him the responsibility of keeping the wickets is the challenging turning pitches in India. The team management wants the right-handed batsman to focus only on his batting. They also want him to avoid undue strain, considering his recent back surgery.

With Rahul out of the picture, both Kishan and Bharat are in contention to keep the wickets. Bharat has been asked to play in the A series against England Lions in Ahmedabad to prepare for the wicketkeeping role. On the other hand, Kishan is currently on a break but could be named in the Test squad.

The five-match Test series is scheduled to begin on January 25 in Hyderabad. England have already announced their squad while India are expected to do it soon. Before taking on England, the hosts will take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series, starting on Thursday (January 11).