WTC final: Ishan Kishan named as KL Rahul's replacement
Indian wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan was named as the injury replacement for KL Rahul in India's 15-member squad for the ICC World Test Championship finals against Australia at the Oval, starting next month. Rahul's injury was a big setback for the Men in Blue, but the selectors have shown their trust in the youngster from Jharkhand, who has been in India's white-ball setup.
Kishan joins India's 15-member WTC final squad
Kishan is yet to make his Test debut for Team India. He was called up to the Indian team during the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia earlier this year. While he did not make his debut, he was surely in the mix. Therefore, when Rahul picked up a thigh injury, the BCCI's first option for replacement was the southpaw.
A look at his overall numbers
Kishan, who has represented Jharkhand and also India A, has a decent First Class record. The 24-year-old has amassed 2,985 in 48 matches at 38.76. He has accounted for 99 catches and 11 stumpings in his FC career. In IPL 2023, Kishan has slammed 293 runs in 10 matches at an average of 29.30. He is the joint-highest runscorer for MI alongside Suryakumar Yadav.
SKY, Mukesh Kumar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad named as standby players
Surykumar, who made his debut against Australia in Nagpur in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, has been included among the standby players. SKY has slammed 5,557 in 80 FC matches. Whereas, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mukesh Kumar were also rewarded for their consistency and were included as standbys for the WTC Final. Gaikwad has compiled 1,941 runs, whereas Mukesh has snapped 149 wickets in FC cricket.
India and Australia's journey to the WTC Final
India started their WTC campaign in England where they managed a 2-2 draw. They later defeated New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and ultimately Australia to qualify for the final. They finished with a point percentage of 58.80 and took the second spot (127 points). Meanwhile, Australia defeated England, Pakistan, and South Africa to top the points table with 66.67 points percentage (152 points).
