India have suffered another injury scare as KL Rahul stands a chance to miss the second Test against Bangladesh, starting Thursday in Dhaka. Rahul sustained a blow on his hand while batting in the nets on Wednesday.
No confirmation on his fitness has been made by the BCCI yet, but if KL Rahul indeed misses Thursday’s Test, India will be without both of their first-choice opener with Rohit Sharma already missing both the Tests due to a thumb injury that he had suffered during the ODI series that preceded the Test series. Abhimanyu Easwaran, who hit twin centuries against Bangladesh A earlier this month could be in line for his debut if Rahul is not declared fit.
India will also have to name a new captain should KL Rahul not make the XI; Cheteshwar Pujara, who is the current vice-captain and deputy to KL Rahul, will probably take the captaincy armband
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Cheteshwar Pujara will India if KL Rahul doesn’t play in Dhaka
India batting coach Vikram Rathour expressed optimism, saying that KL Rahul’s injury isn’t serious yet, and should there be no pain and swelling in the morning, the opener and stand-in captain will take the field.
“It doesn’t [look serious],” Rathour said in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “He seems to be fine. Hopefully he’ll be okay. The doctors are looking at it, but hopefully he’ll be okay.”
It was Vikram Rathour himself who was delivering throwdowns to KL Rahul when Rahul suffered the blow to his hand towards the end of his nets session. He was seen rubbing the injured area, and was attended to by the team doctor.
India are already missing a spare of first-choice players. Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and opener and captain Rohit Sharma are currently out injured. And KL Rahul could be the latest addition to this growing list.
Under KL Rahul’s captaincy, India won the first Test in Chattogram by 188 runs and took a 1-0 series lead, also picking up the crucial World Test Championship points.
