IND vs SA: "Don't Know For How Long KL Rahul Wants To Keep Wickets.."- Rohit Sharma

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma commended wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul for his performance behind the stumps in the World Cup 2023. Rohit Sharma confirmed that KL Rahul will don the wicketkeeping gloves in the upcoming two-match Test series in South Africa.

India will take on South Africa in the first Test in Centurion on Tuesday, December 26. Experienced players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah returned to the team after missing the white-ball games. Rahul led the team to a series victory in the ODI format.

Rahul has taken on the wicketkeeper role and shifted to the middle order following Rishabh Pant’s injury. The 31-year-old impressed with his glove work despite a lack of wicketkeeping experience. He served as the designated wicketkeeper in the recent ODI World Cup.

KL Rahul Worked Really Hard – Rohit Sharma

Speaking at a press conference, Rohit Sharma highlighted the advantage of having a reliable batter in the middle order, with KL Rahul taking on the wicketkeeping role. Rohit expressed optimism about Rahul’s wicketkeeping performance in the series.

“I felt the way he kept in the World Cup, he worked really hard and was impressive. It gives us the option to play a solid batter in the middle order. He does most of things right when he bats in the middle order in ODIs. He knows the situation and how to bat. I am not sure how long he wants to keep but as long as he does, he’ll do well,” Rohit told reports.

Rahul showcased his batting prowess in India’s previous tour of South Africa in 2021-22. The right-handed batter scored 123 runs in the first innings of the series opener, contributing to the team’s victory. He finished with 226 runs in three matches at an average of 37.67.

Rohit Sharma To Open Innings Alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal

Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a stunning debut in the West Indies, will continue to open the innings. Shubman Gill will bat at the No.3 position, followed by star batter Virat Kohli. Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are expected to be the remaining two in India’s top 6.

India will be without Mohammed Shami in Tests due to a heel injury. Ishan Kishan, who requested a break for personal reasons, has been replaced by KS Bharat. Abhimanyu Easwaran has been brought in for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who sustained an injury during the ODI series.

Following the exclusion of Mohammed Shami from the Test series, the pace bowling responsibilities for the visitors will fall on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The choice for the third seamer for the Indian team will be either Mukesh Kumar or Prasidh Krishna.

India needs to finalize its spin bowling strategy, considering the options of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. If only one spinner is selected, Jadeja is likely to take on the primary spinning role. Shardul Thakur might feature as the fourth seamer in the lineup.

India Updated Test Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran.

Also read: IND vs SA: “Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Will Be Under Pressure..”- Gautam Gambhir