India vice-captain KL Rahul and all-arounder Axar Patel have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies in Kolkata. The BCCI have named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements.
KL Rahul and Axar Patel Ruled Out of WI T20I series
“Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on 9th February 2022 while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury,” said the BCCI in a statement.
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements,” it added. Both Gaikwad and Hooda are also part of the squad picked for the ongoing ODI series against the Caribbean side in Ahmedabad.
Rahul and Axar’s fitness issues have also raised questions over their availability for the home series against Sri Lanka starting February 25. Rahul had missed the first ODI to personal commitments before returning for the second game.
Virender Sehwag Warns KL Rahul
Earlier, Former Indian cricketer Sehwag warns KL Rahul to improve his running between the wickets skill. In the recently concluded 2nd ODI vs West Indies, KL Rahul loses his wicket while scoring 49 runs via a run-out dismissal.
In the second ODI vs WI India struggles to build a partnership after three of its top players return to the pavilion without creating an impact in the scorecard. India scored 43 runs for 3 wickets loss in 12 overs. At this stage, KL Rahul entered and joins hands with Suryakumar Yadav and starts to add some runs to the Indian scoreboard.
A disappointing mix-up led to Rahul’s run-out, which also broke their fourth-wicket partnership, and Sehwag feels the former Punjab Kings skipper has to work on his running between the wickets.
KL scored 49 off 48 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Suryakumar played the anchoring role, with 64 off 83 balls to pull the team out from a precarious situation.
India’s T20I Squad vs West Indies
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.
