'It’s either fit or unfit' - Batting coach Vikram Rathour on KL Rahul's fitness concerns

As India and England are gearing up for the fourth Test match, one notable absence from India's line-up is the star batter KL Rahul. He was sidelined due to injury since the first Test. Rahul's struggles with injuries are nothing new to Indian cricket.

In May 2023, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he faced a setback and made a comeback only during the Asia Cup preceding the World Cup. Similarly, during the ongoing series against England, Rahul sustained an injury during the first Test, causing him to miss the second.

Despite hopes for his return by the third Test, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the Karnataka-born batter was 90% fit but would only return for the fourth Test.

However, Rahul's recovery has been slower than expected, leading to his exclusion from the fourth Test in Ranchi, with doubts lingering over his availability for the final Test in Dharamsala. India's batting coach, Vikram Rathour, shed light on Rahul's fitness status, stating that the decision rests with the BCCI's medical team.

"I don’t know about the percentage but as far as I am concerned, it’s either fit or unfit. As of now, he is unfit. BCCI’s medical team will be in a better position to know about the injury," he said.

Also, with Rahul absent, Rajat Patidar is expected to continue in the middle order, a responsibility Rathour believes the youngster is capable of handling.

"As far as having conversations with him (Patidar), yes, we have been having a lot of conversations with him but one thing he needs to understand is that this is how this game goes. He has been batting well, he has scored a lot of runs to get into the team, and he hasn’t become a bad player in two matches," he concluded.

Also Read: Aakash Chopra opens up on KL Rahul's prolonged absence

Everybody felt it's better to give Bumrah a break: Rathour

Rathour also explained the decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah, acknowledging the demanding schedule and workload. Notably, the Indian management decided to rest the vice captain after justifying the decision by citing reasons to manage the amount of cricket that he has played ever since his international return during the T20I series against Ireland, where he also captained the Men in Blue.

"We love to see Bumrah play every match. But it is not advisable. The kind of workload, and schedule we have, everybody felt it's better to give him a break," the batting coach said.

Also Read: 'Every time we play in India, there's a question mark on the pitch' - Vikram Rathour