Published: May 03, 2023, 08:45 AM (IST)
Edited: May 03, 2023, 08:45 AM (IST)
New Delhi: India will face Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023 at the Oval in London from June 7 to 11. The world’s No. 1 Test side announced the 15-member squad for the high-voltage match against the Baggy Greens last week, but in the last few days, as many as four England-bound players have suffered an injury while playing in the ongoing 2023 edition of the IPL, which has now put a question mark on their participation in the title decider.
Here’s a look at four players who could miss the summit clash:
Star Indian batter KL Rahul, who was tipped to keep the wickets in the final of WTC 2023, suffered a hamstring injury while playing for LSG against RCB during Match No. 43 of IPL 2023 on Monday (May 1). The 31-year-old didn’t take any further part in the game but surprisingly came out to bat at No. 11. However, he was unable to take any runs, and now, according to the report, he is likely to miss so many matches for the Lucknow-based side. A hamstring injury usually takes a lot of time to recover, which has put his participation in the WTC Final in doubt.
KL Rahul’s teammate at LSG, Jaydev Unadkat, is also doubtful for the WTC Final after he suffered an injury after falling awkwardly during LSG’s practise sessions. In a video shared by the IPL’s official Twitter handle, Unadkat, who is one of the five pacers selected in the squad, sustained a shoulder injury during net practise ahead of the LSG vs. RCB match. In the video, it can be seen that the pacer fell abruptly on the pitch on the follow-up after delivering a ball.
Shardul Thakur was selected in the WTC final squad despite not being part of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but he is dealing with a niggle because of which he missed a few matches for KKR. He did feature in the team’s last game against the Gujarat Titans but failed to open his account and then didn’t bowl a single over as well. There’s no official update about his fitness, but if he is unable to bowl, he is unlikely to board the flight for England.
Shardul’s teammate at KKR, Umesh Yadav, is also dealing with an injury that has compounded problems for the BCCI. The Vidarbha pacer is dealing with a hamstring injury and could be out of action for a considerable period of time.
