KL Rahul will not take up wicketkeeper’s role in upcoming England series at home, confirms Rahul Dravid

India and England are set to lock horns in the much-awaited five-match Test series starting on 25th January in Hyderabad. This is an important series for both the teams from the WTC's final point of view and whichever team emerges victorious in the series will have a strong chance of reaching the finals of the 2023-2025 cycle of the WTC. 

As India gears up for the first Test against England in Hyderabad, all eyes are on the team dynamics and player roles. Head coach Rahul Dravid has officially confirmed that KL Rahul will not be keeping wickets throughout the series, setting the stage for a debate that who among Dhruv Jurel and KS Bharath will take up this role in the upcoming series.

Team Selection Dynamics

The selection committee has made a strategic decision by including KL Rahul, Kona Srikar Bharat, and uncapped Dhruv Jurel in the squad for the initial two Tests. Rahul, who took on to the role of the wicketkeeper since his return from injury last year, showed his prowess during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 and the subsequent series in South Africa. 

Having shouldered the stumper's duties in the ODI World Cup and the Test series against South Africa, Rahul played a pivotal role in India's performance, contributing significantly to a drawn series. However, the team management, led by Dravid, opted to bring in a specialist wicketkeeper to enhance the squad's balance. 

Rahul Dravid’s take on KL Rahul’s role in the England series

Addressing the media in Hyderabad, Dravid praised Rahul's performance but emphasized the need for a specialist in the wicketkeeping role. "Rahul won't be playing as a wicketkeeper in the series. We were quite clear about that from the selection itself. Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa and played a big part in helping us draw that series," Dravid stated.

However, in another major blow to India, Virat Kohli has opted out of the first two tests against England due to personal reasons and his further participation in the Test series is also not certain. The selectors will announce Kohli’s replacement shortly for the first two Tests.