Ravindra Jadeja, Kl Rahul ruled out of 2nd Test against England,Sarfaraz Khan gets maiden call.

Following an unfortunate defeat in the initial Test against England at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India faces another setback with the absence of allrounder Ravindra Jadeja and batter KL Rahul for the upcoming second game. Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury during Day 4 of the first match, while Rahul reported right quadriceps pain.

The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) medical team will oversee the recovery progress of the duo. The Men’s selection committee has promptly announced replacements, with Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan earning his maiden call-up to the Indian team. Alongside him, spin all-rounder Washington Sundar joins India’s squad, along with Uttar Pradesh’s left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar.

This national call-up marks the end of Sarfaraz’s prolonged wait for a spot in Team India, as he has consistently piled on runs in the Ranji Trophy since 2019. The 26-year-old impressed with 928 runs from nine innings at an average of 154.66 in the 2019-20 season, followed by a stellar performance in the 2021-22 season, where he amassed 982 runs at an average of 122.75. Additionally, Sarfaraz showcased his prowess in the 2022-23 season, scoring 556 runs at an average of 92.66.

Despite his remarkable performances, selectors repeatedly overlooked Sarfaraz, opting for Suryakumar Yadav over him for the four-match Test series against Australia in February-March 2023.

India’s updated Squad for 2nd Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.