KL Rahul, who was appointed as the captain of the upcoming 3-match T20 series against South Africa, has now been ruled out due to an injury. The Indian Cricket Board updated the fans by releasing a statement. The Indian batter has suffered a groin injury and, thus, is set to miss all the T20 internationals against the Proteas.
In his absence, Rishabh Pant will lead the Indian team, while Hardik Pandya will assume the vice-captaincy duties. The Indian Cricket Board is yet to announce the replacement for KL Rahul in the squad. In this article, we have predicted 3 names who might replace the 30-year-old batter for the T20I series.
- Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson recently led Rajasthan to the final of the Indian T20 League 2022. He impressed one and all with his leadership but he would have loved it had Rajasthan go on to win the title. Samson was also the second-highest run-scorer for the team.
He didn’t play big knocks during the tournament but managed to score crucial knocks which changed the momentum of the game on numerous occasions. Samson scored 458 runs in 17 matches at an average of 28.63 in the Indian T20 League 2022.
- Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi is one player who has been scoring runs consistently in the Indian T20 League for the last few years. He played for a new franchise in Hyderabad this season and played some sensational knocks.
He finished the season as the second-highest run-getter for the franchise, scoring 413 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 158.24. Tripathi is someone who can attack right from the onset of his innings and could be a great bet at the top of the order.
- Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal had a poor outing with the bat in the Indian T20 League 2022. He fared badly with the bat, having managed only 196 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 122. However, it’s also true that he didn’t get his best position to bat at.
He sacrificed his opening slot at the expense of Jonny Bairstow and batted in the middle order. Agarwal didn’t fare too well at that position. The Indian batter has shown what he is capable of on many occasions in the past. He could be a great replacement for KL Rahul. If needed, Agarwal can provide powerful starts at the top of the order.