3 players who can replace KL Rahul in India's WTC squad
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul has been ruled out of the IPL and the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final after he suffered a leg injury during their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. Unfortunately, the tendon in his right leg got torn while he was chasing a ball in the second over of the match.
While this comes as a huge blow to Lucknow’s chances in the IPL, KL Rahul will also miss the WTC final against Australia, scheduled to be held at the Oval from June 7. The batter took to social media where he confirmed that he will undergo surgery on his thigh.
It is worth noting that KL Rahul had undergone hernia surgery in Germany a little over 10 months ago. Consequently, all relevant factors, including his medical history, are being taken into account to assess the situation.
We take a look at three possible replacements for KL Rahul in India’s WTC squad:
#3 Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav was included in India’s Test squad for the home series against Australia. However, he could not leave an impression and was completely out of sorts in the ODIs that followed. Surya has since found form in the IPL and is back to his dominating best.
Considering the fact that the final will be played at the Oval, he could be a worthy replacement for Rahul in the middle order where he can take down the Australian bowling attack. He is no slouch in red-ball cricket as well and has been a force in the domestic set-up.
He averages 44.45 in first-class cricket and has shown enough indications that he can make the transition into long-form cricket.
#2 Abhimanyu Easwaran
Uncapped Bengal opener and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is another player who has done the hard yards in the domestic circuit and looks good to make it to the squad. He was, previously, included in India’s Test squad in Chattogram for the two-match series against Bangladesh back in December. He can replace KL Rahul as an opener.
Easwaran was also part of India’s Test squad when they toured England last year. He has been a consistent performer in the domestic setup and since making his debut back in December 2013, he has made his name as one of the most prolific openers. His overall first-class numbers are impressive - 6556 runs in 150 innings at an average of 47.85, with a best of 233.
#1 Sarfaraz Khan
One of the most prolific run-makers in the Indian domestic setup – Sarfaraz Khan deserves an inclusion in the Indian Test squad. In the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, Sarfaraz has piled up 1,910 runs in just 12 games and averages 136.42. He scored seven centuries in 18 innings and also made 11 fifties.
As far as his numbers are concerned, in 37 matches, he has scored 3505 runs at an average of 79.65. He keeps creaming centuries for fun and has so far 13 tons to his name. He can be the perfect player to walk in the middle order as he has shown to have the game to both absorb pressure and go after the bowlers when the need be.
If the selectors picked KL Rahul as an option in the middle order, Sarfaraz can be a good replacement.