In a further blow to India's preparations for the upcoming 3rd Test against England, the BCCI has officially announced that KL Rahul will not be available for selection. This latest development compounds an already challenging situation faced by Rohit Sharma's team as they strive to sustain their winning momentum in this five-match series. In light of Virat Kohli's earlier withdrawal from the remainder of the Test series, India have been forced to make additional changes with Shreyas Iyer being omitted due to his lackluster form.
The latest update indicates that not only will wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul miss the 3rd Test, but his participation in subsequent matches is also contingent upon receiving clearance from the medical team, along with Ravindra Jadeja. Both players were absent from the 2nd Test due to injuries, despite making significant contributions in the series opener against Ben Stokes' England side.

India will be missing KL Rahul in the upcoming 3rd Test against England as he continues his efforts to return to full fitness during the ongoing series. The Indian medical team is closely monitoring Rahul's progress and will assess his fitness again after another week before making a final decision on his availability. Rahul had encountered right quadriceps pain during the 1st Test against England, which led to his absence from subsequent matches. The 3rd Test is set to take place at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Thursday.

In Rahul's absence, the Indian team has selected Karnataka batsman Devdutt Padikkal to fill the void in the Test squad for the England match. Padikkal, who recently joined forces with Rahul at Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2024 after a swap deal with Rajasthan Royals, has been in fine form. He showcased his batting prowess with a superb innings of 151 runs in a recent Ranji Trophy match and has consistently delivered impressive performances, including a century against Goa and notable scores for India A in recent matches. The Chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, has been closely observing Padikkal's performances, particularly his stellar knock in the Ranji match between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With his recent form and consistent run-scoring, Padikkal's inclusion bolsters India's batting lineup for the 3rd Test against England.

Fixture: IND vs ENG, 3rd Test Match Series: England tour of India, 2024

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024 - Monday, February 19, 2024

Time: Commences at 9:30 AM (Feb 15)

Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot

India's Squad for the Remaining Three Tests:
Rohit Sharma (Captain)
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill
Sarfaraz Khan
Devdutt Padikkal
Rajat Patidar
Ravindra Jadeja
KS Bharat (Wicketkeeper)
Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper)
Kuldeep Yadav
Axar Patel
R Ashwin
Washington Sundar
Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain)
Mohammed Siraj
Mukesh Kumar
Akash Deep

Key Batsmen to Watch Out For:
From the Indian Team:
Rohit Sharma
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill

From the England Team:
Zak Crawley
Ollie Pope
Joe Root

Top Bowlers to Keep an Eye On:
From the Indian Team:
Jasprit Bumrah
Ravichandran Ashwin
Kuldeep Yadav

From the England Team:
James Anderson
Tom Hartley
Ollie Robinson