Rahul Dravid Confirms KL Rahul As Wicket-Keeper For SA Tests, Ex India Stumper Disagrees

25.12.2023 - 05:42 sports.ndtv.com

India head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that KL Rahul, who has not kept wickets in red-ball cricket much, will take up the role behind the stumps for the first red-ball contest against South Africa, starting December 26.

Rahul wasn't India's designated wicket-keeper in any of the three formats during his early days in the team but made the transition quite well in white-ball cricket.

He is now India's No. 1 choice behind the stumps in both T20Is and ODIs. Now, the team management wants to see how he does behind the stumps in Tests.

But, former India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel isn't in agreement. Parthiv, taking to social media platform ‘X' (formerly Twitter), said that the wicket-keeper's role in the Test team should be given to a player who has kept wickets in Ranji Trophy and First Class wicket. “India's test match wicketkeeper should be someone who is keeping regularly in Ranji trophy or first-class cricket….#imho #INDvSA #IndianCricket,” he posted on X.

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Veteran Indian cricketer KL Rahul, who kept wickets for the first time in a Test series during India's tour of South Africa, has reportedly been relieved from the responsibility. Though Rahul impressed many with his skills behind the stumps, he will reportedly not be used as a wicket-keeper batter in the 5-match Test series between India and England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee and the team management are looking at specialist wicket-keeper KS Bharat to fulfill that role for the team in the upcoming assignment.

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