KL Rahul will continue to sit out of the India-England series but pacer Jasprit Bumrah - who was rested from the series-deciding fourth Test in Ranchi - will rejoin the India squad ahead of the fifth Test in Dharamshala from March 7.
Bumrah, who has had an extraordinary series so far, was rested as part of Team India’s workload-management protocols given that the T20 World Cup will follow the IPL. He is currently the-second highest wicket-taker in the series with 17 scalps from three Tests at an average of 13.64. England spinner Tom Hartley with 20 wickets leads the list. For the Test in Dharamshala, which may favour the faster bowlers, India also have Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar in the squad.
As for Rahul, he has officially been ruled out of the Test and may head to London to help him fully recover from the pain in his right quadriceps. “The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring him and coordinating with specialists in London for further management of his issue,” the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said. Rahul underwent surgery for the same injury in 2023 after the IPL.
Meanwhile, Washington Sundar has been released from the squad and will join Tamil Nadu for their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Mumbai starting March 2. He will rejoin the India squad after the completion of the game.
The BCCI statement also mentioned that Mohammed Shami, who successfully underwent surgery on Feb 26 for a right-heel issue, is recovering well and will soon head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for rehabilitation.
