Why is KL Rahul not in India squad for WTC final? Fans shocked at PBKS captain's exclusion

The BCCI's chairman of selectors announced Team India's squad for the upcoming World Test Championship Final against New England and the subsequent test series in England. Players who did well down under were rewarded with extended runs, while regulars who were out with injury are back in the fold. The squad announcement has been a source of great debate, especially with KL Rahul's participation in doubt. Here's a look at why is KL Rahul not in India squad for WTC final and the KL Rahul injury update. 

Why is KL Rahul not in India squad for WTC Final? 

The squad for the WTC final and the England tour does include KL Rahul as his inclusion is subject to medical clearance. The Punjab Kings captain underwent surgery earlier this week before the IPL suspension, after having been diagnosed with acute appendicitis. The team released a statement regarding the same, and it was believed that the Karnataka star would rejoin the team bubble after quarantine. However, due to the IPL suspension, the wicketkeeper-batsman has had more time to recover from his injury and will undergo a series of tests before flying to England.

Team India will hope that the KL Rahul injury is not serious and he can return to his peak fitness before they travel to the UK. Should he miss out, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been listed as one of the standby players for the tour, and should replace him. KL Rahul last played a Test match in 2019 and was snubbed from the squad for the Australia tour. He now returns as the fourth choice opener, with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Karnataka and Punjab Kings teammate Mayank Agarwal all ahead of him in the pecking order. Rahul could also double up as an emergency wicketkeeper option for Rishabh Pant, who is also one of India's regular players in Virat Kohli's side. 

KL Rahul stats 

Rahul had some success in India's last tour of England in 2018 where he scored a century in the final match of the series. He is one of the only three Indian cricketers to score centuries in all formats of the game, after Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma. In his Test career so far, Rahul has managed to score 2,006 runs in 36 Tests, with an average of 34.58, scoring five centuries and 11 half-centuries. During India's 2018 tour of England, the Karnataka star finished as India's second-highest run-getter with 299 runs in 10 innings, which included a staggering 149 in the last Test. 

(Image Courtesy: KL Rahul Instagram)