KL Rahul, India’s star cricketer, will be the backup wicketkeeper to Rishabh Pant in the second Test against Bangladesh, which is to begin at Green Park in Kanpur on September 27. Though the same combination will remain the same in the second Test, not everyone will be on view as Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal have been selected for the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup that commences on October 1.
The BCCI has said the decision on Jurel and Dayal’s participation in the Irani Cup would depend on whether they are part of the second Test, but going by the team composition for now, they don’t look to be featured. Jurel will surely miss this one, as Pant had staged an incredible comeback to Test cricket by scoring a sensational hundred in the second innings of the first Test, which ultimately helped India win decisively by 280 runs.
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As Jurel has been scheduled to concentrate on the Irani Cup, India will not have a necessarily earmarked backup keeper. However, the management has planned for this by giving the responsibility to KL Rahul as a backup wicketkeeper. According to reports from PTI, Rahul, who has successfully had stints as a backup wicketkeeper during India’s two-match Test series against South Africa during 2023-24, will don the gloves if needed.
A stint behind the stumps during the South Africa series was quite impressive for Rahul. He handled his wicketkeeping duties without any slips while still being up in form with the bat. In that series, he even scored a magnificent century in the first match.
Rahul batted straight at the Test in Bangladesh’s first match and faced 52 balls with 16 runs in the first innings. Then, with an unbeaten 22 runs off 19 balls, he hit four boundaries in the second innings before India declared its innings.
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When India is preparing for a challenging series against New Zealand and Australia, Rahul’s ability to contribute both with his bat and as a backup wicketkeeper will prove invaluable. Basking in the glory of an emphatic victory in the first Test, India would look to seal the series with an outright 2-0 whitewash against Bangladesh.
