India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, has officially announced that KL Rahul will not be taking on the wicketkeeping duties during the upcoming five-Test series against England, commencing in Hyderabad on Thursday. Instead, either KS Bharat or the uncapped Dhruv Jurel will assume the role of the wicketkeeper.
In the recent Test series in South Africa (December-January), Rahul had served as the designated wicketkeeper. However, Dravid emphasized that the home conditions necessitate a more specialized wicketkeeper for the upcoming series.
Dravid stated in Hyderabad on Tuesday, “Rahul will not be playing as a wicketkeeper in this series, and we are clear about that in the selection itself. We have picked two other wicketkeepers, and obviously Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa and really played a big part in helping us draw the series. But considering five Test matches and playing in these conditions, the selection will be between the two other keepers we have.”
KS Bharat had previously been the wicketkeeper for India during their last home series against Australia in February and March 2023, as well as in the World Test Championship final in June. It’s worth noting that Ishan Kishan was the wicketkeeper during the two-Test series in the West Indies that followed, but he is currently on a break from international cricket.