KL Rahul Ruled Out of Fifth Test, Jasprit Bumrah Returns: BCCI

Senior India batter KL Rahul will miss the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala due to an injury, but the pacer Jasprit Bumrah will return to the squad, the BCCI announced on Thursday. Rahul, still uncomfortable in his right quadriceps, has flown to London to get an expert opinion on his condition.

Jasprit 'in' & KL 'out' -

The wicketkeeper-batsman became unavailable following the series opener in Hyderabad in January, and according to the BCCI, he was 90 percent fit before the third Test.

Mr. KL Rahul, whose participation in the final IDFC First Bank Test was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring him and coordinating with specialists in London for further management of his issue.
~the Board said in a release

Meanwhile, Bumrah, dismissed from the squad for the fourth Test in Ranch, following the team's workload management policy, will rejoin the squad in Dharamsala for the final or 5th Test on March 7. India has already grabbed an unassailable 3-1 lead after winning the fourth Test in Ranchi.

Rajat Patidar's future in danger -

Rahul's departure from the final Test means Rajat Patidar will remain with the squad, but the MP batsman is unsure of his future in the starting eleven after scoring only 63 runs in six innings. Washington Sundar, an all-rounder, has also been removed from the squad.

He will join Tamil Nadu - his Ranji Trophy side - for their Ranji Trophy Semi-final fixture against Mumbai, starting March 2nd, 2024. He will join the India squad after the completion of the domestic fixture for the fifth Test, if need be.
~the BCCI said

Rahul to head LSG while Shami also needs to recover -

Rahul needs to be fully fit before the IPL, where he will head Lucknow Super Giants and bat in the middle to increase his chances of making the India T20 World Cup squad in the United States and the Caribbean.

It's the same quadriceps issue that kept Rahul sidelined for over four months last year.

After being injured during the IPL, Rahul returned to action during the Asia Cup in September and made an immediate impression. Rahul was a century-maker during the drawn Test series in South Africa last year.

The BCCI also said the senior pacer Mohammed Shami is recovering well after undergoing surgery on February 26 for his right heel problem.

He is recovering well and will soon head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to commence his rehabilitation process.
~the Board said of Shami

India's updated squad for fifth Test:

Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), 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, Akash Deep.