WTC Final: KL Rahul recovering well, can fly with India team to England

BCCI, however, is yet to officially announce whether KL Rahul or Wriddhiman Saha (whose availability for England too was subject to fitness clearance) are fit to travel. Saha is expected to reach Mumbai on Monday (May 24) but wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat has already been kept on standby and is in Mumbai.

KL Rahul was ruled out of IPL 2021 after an appendicitis surgery. (Source: Twitter)

Team India batsman KL Rahul is on his way to recovery and he is most likely to travel to England with India team on June 2 for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the Test tour of England. Rahul, who was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and pulled out of the postponed Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) at the start of this month, had been named in tour party subject to fitness clearance.

“He is doing fine and has recovered well as far as I know. He should be travelling to England with the team,” a source close to the player told IANS.

“There is still time, about a month before the start of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and another one-and-a-half month before the start of five-Test series against England. The Indian team has done this before too, taken injured Wriddhiman Saha to Australia last year and made him do rehab with the team,” added the source.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, is yet to officially announce whether he or Saha (whose availability for England too was subject to fitness clearance) are fit to travel. Saha is expected to reach Mumbai on Monday (May 24) but wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat has already been kept on standby and is in Mumbai.

Rahul, who pulled out of IPL just before it was postponed after COVID-19 cases emerged in bio-bubble, had a few days back posted a picture on social media which showed that he was recovering well.

The right-handed batsman hasn’t played a Test since August-September, 2019 when he played in Kingston against West Indies. Rahul was also part of the Test squad in Australia but did not get an opportunity to play.

The 29-year-old has played 36 Test matches and scored 2006 runs with five centuries and 11 half-centuries.