KL Rahul, the Indian cricketer, is expected to take a break during the upcoming white-ball series against England, which kicks off in Kolkata on January 22. This series includes five T20 matches and three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and is important as it leads into the Champions Trophy scheduled to begin on February 19.
Despite taking time off for the England series, Rahul will be available to play in the Champions Trophy. All of India’s matches will take place in Dubai, with other games held in Pakistan.
A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) mentioned, “Rahul has asked for a break during the England series, but he will be available for the Champions Trophy.”
In the recent Test series against Australia, while many Indian batsmen struggled to score, Rahul stood out by being one of the few who performed well. He finished as India’s third-highest run-scorer in the series, accumulating 276 runs from 10 innings with an average of 30.66. As he prepares for the Champions Trophy, Rahul is in competition for the wicketkeeper-batter position against Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.
Additionally, Rahul has also requested rest from the Karnataka team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with their quarterfinal match set for this weekend. It’s unclear whether he will participate in Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy matches, as head coach Gautam Gambhir has emphasized the importance of domestic cricket for Indian players following the series loss in Australia.
