India vs England 2022: KL Rahul likely to miss entire tour; will treat groin injury abroad

KL Rahul is nursing a groin injury that he will be treating abroad. As a result, he is likely to miss out on the upcoming tour of England.

Image credit: PTI

Indian wicketkeeper-opener KL Rahul suffered a groin injury right before the ongoing Twenty20 International (T20I) series against South Africa at home, leading to him being ruled out. While he would not be travelling to Ireland for a couple of T20Is from next week, his tour of England also looks in jeopardy. According to Cricbuzz, Rahul will likely travel to Germany to treat his injury. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah confirmed the development to the publication, as the 30-year-old is likely to fly out by the end of the month or early next month.

Rahul's absence will likely significantly impact Team India's campaign in England. The Men in Blue play the rescheduled Test from last year, starting July 1, followed by three T20Is and One-Day Internationals (ODIs) each. While Rahul happened to be the vice-captain to Rohit Sharma, the All-Indian Senior Selection Committee will now have to name another deputy to him. It is likely to be wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, currently leading the side against SA.

Image credit: BCCI

In the meantime, a small batch of Team India, consisting of Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna flew out for England. The Test will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Meanwhile, the report adds that there would be no replacement for Rahul in the Test side unless there happens to be a request from the team management.

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However, if the requirement for Rahul's replacement arises, Mayank Agarwal will be added to the squad. Rahul was sensational in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. He led new side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to the Playoffs, scoring 616 runs in 15 innings at a laudable average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38, including twin tons and four half-centuries, with a top score of an unbeaten 103. He has not played international cricket since February.