The All-India Senior Selection Committee has announced that Ishan Kishan will replace K.L. Rahul in the Indian cricket team for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia. Rahul sustained a right upper thigh injury while fielding during Match 43 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 1.
After consulting with specialists, it was decided that Rahul will undergo surgery followed by rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy. As a result, he will not be able to participate in the WTC Final, which is scheduled to be played from June 7-11, 2023 at The Oval, London. The announcement was made by BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah in a press release on Monday.
In addition to Rahul's injury, the BCCI also provided updates on the conditions of two other players, Jaydev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav, both of whom may miss the WTC Final.
Jaydev Unadkat suffered a left shoulder injury while bowling in the nets after tripping over the side rope. The left-arm fast bowler is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru undergoing strength and rehab sessions for his shoulder. A decision on his participation in the WTC final will be made at a later stage.
Umesh Yadav, on the other hand, sustained a minor left hamstring injury during Match 36 of IPL 2023 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 26. The fast bowler is currently undergoing rehabilitation with the KKR Medical Team, and the BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring his progress. A decision on his availability for the WTC Final will also be made at a later date.
The BCCI expressed confidence in the Indian team's ability to perform well despite these injuries, and fans are eagerly anticipating the WTC Final next month.
India's squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Standby players: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav.