With Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan selected for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, starting September 5, there was speculation that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee might face a tough decision in choosing the two wicketkeepers for the Test series against Bangladesh. Five potential candidates were believed to be in contention for these spots in the Indian Test team. However, the BCCI, in a move that went largely unnoticed but highlighted by former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, has already eliminated one contender.
Following Rishabh Pant’s accident in December 2022, KS Bharat was seen as the primary replacement for Pant in the Test team. Despite his efforts, Bharat struggled in the home series against Australia and the WTC final. Ishan Kishan, who debuted in the West Indies tour and scored a maiden fifty, was then selected for the South Africa tour. However, Kishan withdrew due to mental health issues, leading to KL Rahul being assigned the wicketkeeping role temporarily. Although Rahul performed adequately with the gloves, the team management reverted to Bharat for the home series against England and gave Dhruv Jurel a chance.
KL Rahul’s potential as a wicketkeeper for the Test series seems to be in question. Aakash Chopra noted on his YouTube channel that Rahul, listed in Team A for the Duleep Trophy, does not have ‘WK’ (wicketkeeper) next to his name. Chopra speculated that Jurel would likely take on the wicketkeeping duties, implying Rahul would only be used as a batsman.
Chopra remarked, “KL Rahul cannot be a wicketkeeper. I mean you don’t even have ‘WK’ written after his name in the squad list. And since you picked Dhruv Jurel in that same team, it means, he will be the keeper. So, Rahul is no longer your keeper for Test cricket. And it is okay because he came at a time when Rishabh wasn’t there, you will definitely put Rahul in the playing XI. He is also not the captain. He could have been in a different team as well. He or Pant could have been the captain instead of Abhimanyu Easwaran, but neither are captaincy candidates anymore,” he said.
However, it is worth noting that neither Jurel nor Pant is listed with ‘WK’ next to their names in the BCCI’s squad list released earlier this month.