Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the 15-man squad for the World Test Championship in England. Among the surprise additions was Ajinkya Rahane, who has returned to the Test fold following an impressive ongoing IPL and getting runs in the domestic circuit.
The WTC Final is scheduled to take place at the Oval in London from June 7th–11th, with June 12th as the reserve day.
Rahane rewarded for rich vein of form
Ajinkya Rahane, was recalled to the national team due to his impressive performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League and Ranji Trophy.
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He had scored 209 runs in seven IPL matches and was Mumbai's top scorer in the Ranji Trophy with an average of 57.63, making him an ideal replacement for Shreyas Iyer, who is currently out with a back injury. Rahane's form in both tournaments helped him earn his spot on the national team once again.
Rahane last played for India in a three match Test series in South Africa in 2020.
Suryakumar Yadav dropped after one Test
Suryakumar Yadav, who was part of the Border Gavaskar series, was dropped after playing just one Test match. Yadav was rewarded with a place in the Test side following his good showing in limited overs. However, recent struggles have led to questions over his inclusion, and the right-hander has ultimately paid the price.
KL Rahul has another lifeline
KL Rahul, who was stripped of his vice-captaincy and dropped for the final two Test matches of the Border Gavaskar Series, also made a return. Rahul is unlikely to be an opener and could feature as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
KS Bharat's vulnerability with the bat and lack of experience playing in England could pave the way for Rahul to don the gloves and feature as a middle order batsman.
India's WTC Final squad:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, and Jaydev Unadkat.
