WTC Final 2023: List of injured players for the summit clash between India and Australia

The World Test Championship Final 2023 is just one month away as Australia and India prepare to lock horns in the summit clash to claim the second edition of the WTC. Both teams finished on the first and second spot respectively in WTC standings in the 2021-23 cycle and are also the top two ranked teams in the ICC Test rankings with India claiming the first spot while Australia the second. The WTC final will be played at the Oval in London from June 7 with a reserve day in place in case rain interrupts play on any day during the Test. 

Both teams have announced their squad for the final and some of the players from both camps are already in England getting acclimatized to the conditions. However, India’s preparations for the big game have got a hit as some of the players have incurred unfortunate injuries and are likely to miss the final. On that note, let’s take a look at the players who are likely to miss the WTC final due to injuries.

1 Jaydev Unadkat

The left-arm seamer recently made a comeback to the Indian team after a long gap of 12 years in the second Test against Bangladesh in December 2022. Unadkat was also part of the squad for the India- Australia Test series in February- March 2023 and has been named in the squad for the WTC final as well.

However, the Lucknow Super Giants’ seamer got injured while bowling in the nets on April 30 as he landed awkwardly and injured his shoulder in the process. Following his injury, Unadkat travelled to Mumbai for scans and consulted with BCCI's official medical staff. The 31-year-old has been ruled out of IPL 2023 and is unlikely to get fit for the WTC final. He is likely to head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to start his rehab.

2 KL Rahul

The star batter pulled his hamstring while fielding during LSG’s clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Match 43 of IPL 2023. Rahul was immediately taken off the field but had to come out to bat with his team struggling in the middle. The LSG captain was seen struggling as he couldn’t run and had to deny singles during his short innings.

According to reports, Rahul travelled to Mumbai for scans after LSG’s last fixture against CSK and has been ruled out of IPL 2023. Once the results of the scans are out and the extent of the injury is known, BCCI will decide on further course of action.  

3 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer last played in the fourth Test between India and Australia in March 2023 in Ahmedabad. However, the star batter didn’t come out to bat as he had issues with his back which have troubled him since the beginning of 2023. Earlier, the 28-year-old had decided to not go for surgery and was at the NCA for his rehabilitation.

However, the BCCI shared an update on his fitness in April and stated that the cricketer will be undergoing back surgery in the last week of April and will remain under the surgeon’s care for two weeks before returning to the NCA for rehabilitation.

According to a report by Times of India, the cricketer underwent a successful back surgery in London on April 18 and is likely to take three months to recover fully and hence will miss the WTC final.

4 Rishabh Pant

Pant has been the ‘X factor’ of team India ever since his heroics at the Gabba that helped his side register a historic win. However, the southpaw will not be able to feature in the WTC final as he met a horrific accident on December 30, 2022, while travelling from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee, Uttarakhand. 

Pant’s speeding car hit a divider and caught fire, but the cricketer miraculously managed to escape from the burning vehicle and was sent to the hospital with the help of some locals. The cricketer is nursing several grave injuries following the accident and will return to the cricket field only in 2024. Pant has recently begun his rehabilitation at the NCA and the fans are hoping for his return to the team as soon as possible.

5 Jasprit Bumrah

The speedster has been out of action since September 2022 due to a stress fracture. Bumrah recently underwent surgery in New Zealand and has begun his six-week rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru. The 29-year-old has missed major events such as Asia Cup 2022, T20 World Cup 2022, and IPL 2023, and is also not a part of the World Test Championship 2023 Final squad. 

India will miss the services of the star seamer during the summit clash with Australia as he’s been the leader of the pace attack of the Test side for the past five years. The BCCI is trying its best to get Bumrah fit by the ODI World Cup 2023 which is set to take place between October-November in India.