"You will never know about KL Rahul.."- Aakash Chopra alleges BCCI of hiding players' fitness updates from fans

Former India opener Aakash Chopra reckons KL Rahul’s injury is more than a niggle as he is set to miss a third-consecutive Test match against England in the ongoing Test series.

He complained of pain in his right quadriceps after the first Test and as a result, missed the second Test in Vizag. Rahul was expected to return for the third Test but was again ruled out of the third Test.

KL Rahul was good in the first Test against England in Hyderabad where he scored 86 in the first innings and was in good form coming from South Africa. He smashed a century in the first Test against South Africa and was looking strong against England before getting injured.

Rahul has been replaced by Sarfaraz Khan in the squad. Sarfaraz Khan smashed a half-century in both innings of his first Test match and was brilliant against the English bowlers batting confidently.

Reflecting on the development in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reckoned Rahul’s injury to be more serious than originally anticipated.

He suffered a huge blow last year during the IPL when he injured his hamstring and was out of cricketing action for a good four months making his return during the Asia Cup 2023. However, in the absence of KL Rahul, it will be a good opportunity for Rajat Patidar who is not having a decent debut series in Test cricket.

“They were saying that KL Rahul would be available for the next match and then the match after that, the third and the fourth Test, but now he could probably be available for the fifth, we don’t know as of now. So, it started as a niggle, maybe there is a bit more to it. You and I will never know,” said Aakash Chopra about KL Rahul’s injury.

KL Rahul’s absence gives a golden chance to Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar came in the squad as a replacement for Virat Kohli who opted out of the Test series due to the birth of his second child.

Patidar made his Test debut in the second Test in Vizag and scored a decent 32 in the first innings but after that, he had a string of low scores as in the rest of the three innings he scored a 9, 5, and a duck which has raised some questions about his selection in the squad. Rajat Patidar has failed to impress in the ongoing series but now has a golden opportunity to show his prowess.

With KL Rahul missing the fourth Test as well, India will likely keep the same team in the fourth Test which will be played at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi. India is already leading the Test series 2-1 and will hope to seal the series by winning the fourth Test and ensuring a 17th consecutive Test series win at home.

On the other hand, England needs to win in Ranchi if they have to have a chance of winning the series against India. India has not lost a Test series at home since 2012.