Senior India opener KL Rahul was on Tuesday ruled out of the Test Series against New Zealand, starting Thursday, due to an injury, the BCCI confirmed in a statement on its official social media accounts and website.
"Team India batsman Mr. KL Rahul has sustained a muscle strain on his left thigh and has been ruled out of the upcoming 2-match Paytm Test series against New Zealand. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mr. Suryakumar Yadav as KL Rahul’s replacement," a BCCI statement said.
The Board further stated that Rahul will undergo rehabilitation at NCA in preparation for the series against South Africa scheduled next month.
Suryakumar Yadav, who was a part of India's Test squad that travelled to England, has been added to the side.
Rahul was missing from the Indian team's customary practice session, attended by almost all the players on Tuesday at the Green Park stadium. The 29-year-old Rahul has featured in 40 Tests, scoring 2321 runs at an average of 35.16. His highest score was 199 that came against England in Chennai in 2016.
Shubman Gill was seen opening the batting along with Mayank Agarwal during the team's net session as Cheteshwar Pujara, the vice-captain for the series opener, also batted.
It is understood that one among Shreyas Iyer or Suryakumar Yadav will make his Test debut and bat in the middle order. Shubhman was expected to bat in the middle order but now in the absence of Rahul, the youngster will be asked to play in his usual opening slot. The first Test between India and New Zealand begins on 25th November at Green Park in Kanpur.
India’s Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Schedule
| Match |
Date & Venue |
| 1st Test |
November 25-29 | India vs New Zealand, Green Park, Kanpur |
| 2nd Test |
December 03-07 | India vs New Zealand, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
Match Starts at 9:30 AM
