Uncertainty Surrounding KL Rahul's Fitness: A Puzzle for Indian Cricket

The tension about KL Rahul's fitness raises a number of fascinating issues each day. Although it was thought that Rahul would eventually get 100 percent fit for the Ranchi and Dharamsala Tests in the current series against England, the Board's announcement that Rahul was ruled out of the fourth match and is questionable for Dharamsala came as a great surprise.

After the first Test of the series in Hyderabad, the top-order batsman was forced to withdraw due to "a right quadriceps pain."

After that, he started his recuperation at Bangalore's National Cricket Academy. The Board said that Rahul had "reached 90 per cent of match fitness" and was "progressing well under the supervision of the BCCI medical team" on February 12, three days before to the commencement of the third Test in Rajkot.

On Tuesday evening, February 20, the Board said that Rahul had been "ruled out of the fourth Test" in Ranchi. The press statement said, "His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to fitness."

The players on the chartered aircraft from Rajkot were not accompanied by Rahul. Given that he was thought to be healthy, it was expected that he would join the side in Ranchi. But all questions were answered by the Board's late-evening publication.

The first issue that naturally arises is how a cricket player who is "90%" fit can be declared unfit in an instant. Has he sustained a new injury or made his right quadriceps discomfort worse?

Despite saying that Rahul "should be okay" after their historic victory in Rajkot, skipper Rohit Sharma was unable to provide any information on the condition of Rahul's injury.

Rahul's journey back to the national team began with a drawn-out recovery from his IPL 2023 injury, which required surgery on his right thigh and months of therapy at the NCA. He finally returned to the team at the Asia Cup in September.

Regarding the timeline for his return, the Board has not provided any information. "The length of rehabilitation varies depending on the injury's severity, such as Grade 1, 2, or 3. The athlete may not hold up when put through certain tests, according to Ashish Kaushik, the former chief physiotherapist for the NCA, who spoke to The Telegraph.

The delay is said to be caused by Rahul's lack of confidence in his ability to return. Should matters not get better, he may have to seek advice from experts abroad.

Rahul was communicating well across all platforms prior to this most recent setback. In the Test series against South Africa, he scored a century. In Hyderabad, he scored 86 and 22.

Rahul is unlikely to make himself available for the last Test under the current conditions. But the start of the fifth match (on March 7) is eight days away from the finish of the fourth Test (on February 27). It's unclear whether Rahul will get fitter in the process.

With Rahul unavailable in Ranchi, Rajat Patidar will have a glimmer of hope at number four. Scores of 32, 9, 5, and 0 have scarcely done credit to the potential he shown before to making his debut; he hasn't been among runs.

Patidar will be eager to take advantage of the second chance it presents to earn a spot in the starting lineup. The absence of Virat Kohli and Rahul has given the young players opportunities to establish themselves.

Players like Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who have been playing at an incredible level, played a major part in India's incredible performance in Rajkot.

Jaiswal is now ranked 15th in the ICC after scoring back-to-back double hundreds in the first two Test matches. In Rajkot, Sarfaraz has also shown promise, scoring thrilling half-centuries in both innings.

However, Patidar was a bundle of nerves throughout both tests.

Despite Patidar's dismal performances, the batting order seems to be established, but Jasprit Bumrah's absence will force a shift in the bowling order. Although it was anticipated that Mukesh Kumar would succeed Bumrah, the think tank is considering offering Akash Deep a chance.

The Bengal pacer pleased the team management in the nets and had a great outing for India A against the England Lions, taking 10 wickets.

There will also be an emphasis on the circumstances at Ranchi's JSCA Stadium. India bringing in four spinners is not completely out of the question if the pitch's fissures do open up and allow for a turn.

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On Thursday, a final decision is anticipated.