Why Is KL Rahul Not Playing In IND Vs ENG 2nd ODI Today?

KL Rahul is not playing in IND Vs ENG 2nd ODI [Source: AFP]

After suffering a series loss in the T20Is against England, Team India bounced back to clinch the first ODI against the same opponent on Tuesday evening. The victory came after a bit of a hiccup as the Indian batters struggled in the chase, but ultimately Axar Patel guided them past the winning line.

For the second ODI in Cardiff, Team India was expected to go in with the same playing XI that defeated England in the first ODI; however, India received a major jolt when KL Rahul was ruled out of the crucial IND vs ENG 2nd ODI.

Why is KL Rahul not playing vs England in 2nd ODI?

KL Rahul failed to deliver the goods against England in the IND Vs ENG 1st ODI, and initially, everyone thought that the keeper-batter had been dropped from the playing XI after a poor outing.

However, Shubman Gill, the Indian captain, revealed during the toss that KL Rahul is unwell and he won’t be available for the IND Vs ENG 2nd ODI. Ishan Kishan, the wicket-keeper batter has replaced KL Rahul in India’s playing XI.

"Yes, we have gone 1 change. KL is sick. So, Ishan comes in for him," Gill said at toss time, when asked about the team changes.

The rest of the Indian team remains the same as Ishan Kishan will keep the wickets in place of Rahul.

Ishan Kishan set to bat at number 4 as Shreyas Iyer pushed back

According to the team sheet submitted by the Indian side, Ishan Kishan is slated to bat at number 4, and that would mean Shreyas Iyer, who usually bats at 4, will be demoted in the batting order.

Also Read: IND vs ENG 2nd ODI Toss: Ishan Kishan Displaces Shreyas Iyer, England Make 2 Changes

Iyer stabilised India’s innings alongside Shubman Gill in the first ODI after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s dismissals, but the management, according to the team sheet, has pushed him to 5, where KL Rahul bats in the ODIs.

India are perhaps trying to maintain a left-right combination with Kishan at 4, Iyer at 5, and then another left-handed batter at 6.

How Ishan Kishan has fared at number 4 in ODIs

The southpaw has batted 8 times at number 4 in ODI cricket, and the explosive batter has smacked 264 runs, with an average of 37.71, and a strike rate of 88.59.

In fact, the last time he played at number 4 in the ODIs (against Afghanistan), the dashing batter scored a brilliant 125 that took the game away from the Afghans. As a result of his strong showing at the designated number, Kishan is likely to bat at 4.

Moreover, the left-handed player will be designed to take down the English bowling attack with his aggressive batting in the IND Vs ENG 2nd ODI.

IND playing XI Vs England in KL Rahul's absence

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna

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