KL Rahul & Axar Patel Ruled Out of T20I Series Against West Indies

India batter and vice-captain KL Rahul and left-arm spinner Axar Patel have been ruled out of the T20I series against West Indies, the BCCI announced on Friday.

Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on Wednesday while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda will replace them in the squad. The series will begin in Kolkata from February 16.

“Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on 9th February 2022 while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury,” said the BCCI in a statement.

“All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements,” it added.

Both Gaikwad and Hooda are also part of the squad picked for the ongoing ODI series against West Indies in Ahmedabad.

The three T20Is will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata 16, 18 and 20 February. India clinched the ODI series with a game to spare in Ahmedabad.

India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.