Senior Indian batsman KL Rahul will miss out on the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala due to an injury, while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is set to make a comeback, as announced by the BCCI on Thursday.
Rahul, who has been experiencing discomfort in his right quadriceps, has traveled to London to seek expert advice on his injury.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has been unavailable since the series opener in Hyderabad back in January. Despite being deemed 90 percent fit before the third Test in Rajkot earlier this month, his soreness has persisted, leading to his exclusion from the final Test.
The BCCI's medical team is closely monitoring Rahul's condition and is in contact with specialists in London for further guidance on managing his injury, the board stated.
On the other hand, Bumrah, who was rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi as part of the team's workload management strategy, will rejoin the squad for the final Test starting March 7 in Dharamsala.
India has already secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series following their victory in Ranchi.
Rahul's absence from the final Test means that Rajat Patidar remains with the squad, although his place in the playing eleven is uncertain given his modest performance of 63 runs in six innings.
All-rounder Washington Sundar has been released from the squad and will join his Ranji Trophy side, Tamil Nadu, for their semi-final fixture against Mumbai starting on March 2, 2024. He will rejoin the India squad after the domestic fixture, if required.
Rahul will aim to regain full fitness ahead of the IPL, where he is set to lead the Lucknow Super Giants. His performance in the IPL will be crucial for his chances of earning a spot in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean.
It's worth noting that Rahul had previously suffered from the same quadriceps injury, which kept him out of action for nearly four months last year. However, he made a strong comeback during the Asia Cup in September and played a significant role in India's Test tour of South Africa, where he was the lone centurion for the team in the drawn series.
The BCCI also provided an update on senior pacer Mohammed Shami, stating that he is recovering well after undergoing surgery on February 26 for his right heel problem. Shami is expected to commence his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru soon.
The updated squad for the fifth Test includes Rohit Sharma (Captain), Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep.
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