IND vs ENG: Rajat Patidar Replaces Virat Kohli in India Squad for First Two Tests
Virat Kohli unavailable for the first two Tests against England citing personal reasons.
With Virat Kohli unavailable for the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons, the Indian selectors have brought Rajat Patidar into the squad. The middle-order batter has already linked up with the Men in Blue in Hyderabad and was in attendance at the BCCI Annual Awards on Tuesday.
With Kohli taking a break for the first two Tests, everyone was curious about the selection committee’s choice for a replacement. Though Gill, Rahul, and Iyer held their own in the middle order in the first Test, there wasn’t a backup batter in case of a last-minute twist or emergency.
In the first unofficial Test in Ahmedabad, Patidar scored a remarkable 151 against England Lions. His outstanding track record in First-class cricket played a significant role in earning him the call-up to the Indian squad. Whether he gets a chance in the playing XI is a question only time can answer.
India Test Squad vs England for First Two Tests:
Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rajat Patidar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Srikar Bharat, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.
