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With less than 48 hours remaining for the first Test match between India and New Zealand, Team India has been dealt a huge blow. Opener KL Rahul has been ruled out of the two-match Test series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source has confirmed the news to Sports Tak.
The news comes as a major blow, as the team prepares to take on New Zealand at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. The source hasn’t confirmed the extent of the injury but has said the opener has sustained a muscle strain on his left thigh. The Karnataka batter will undergo rehabilitation at NCA in preparation for the series against South Africa scheduled next month.
India's in-form T20I star Suryakumar Yadav has been named as Rahul's replacement in the squad. However, his batting position is still not clear or whether he will make his debut in the series with Shreyas Iyer awaiting his Test debut as well. It is also worth noting that India is already without regular opener Rohit Sharma who is rested for the Test series.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, Cheteshwar Pujara spoke about the availability of players and Gill’s place in the team. But with 29-year-old Rahul ruled out, the baton for the opening pair is highly likely into the hands of Shubman Gill. Mayank Agarwal is likely to be Gill's opening partner in the Test series.
India's squad for 1st Test: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Srikar Bharat
