KL Rahul was never an option, for me at least in Test matches: Amol Muzumdar

Star India batter KL Rahul injured his hip during the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing IPL 2023. Later on, the cricketer himself confirmed that he will be missing the remaining season of the cash-rich league but most importantly, will also miss the upcoming World Test Championship finale against Australia, which is slated to take place from June 7, at The Oval in England.

Consequently, which player will be his replacement in the Indian team is one of the most discussed subjects in the cricketing world at the moment. He was expected to take up the role of stumper-batter in the team but now in his absence, KS Bharat is very likely to play in the marquee clash. Talking about the same, former Indian batter Amol Muzumdar stated that Rahul was never an option to feature in the playing XI according to him, as he was not a proven wicket-keeper in the English conditions.

“I'll stick with what I said. You need genuine keeper who can bat a little. KL Rahul was never an option, for me, at least, in Test matches. It's okay for T20 or a fifty-over match, but for Test – especially in England – where the ball nibbles around, you need a genuine keeper,” Muzumdar told ESPNCricinfo.

Former Indian batter Amol Muzumdar suggests Ishan Kishan for the WTC final

Interestingly enough, Muzumdar name-dropped Ishan Kishan's name ahead of Bharat citing Rishabh Pant's unfortunate incident and his unavailability for the Indian Test team. Talking of similar batting traits and explosive style, he believes nobody can closely replicate Pant as much as Kishan.

“Looking at the situation, what has happened to Rahul is unfortunate. But I would be inclined to include Ishan Kishan in the team, looking at his form. Why we talked about KL Rahul and KS Bharat… is because of the unfortunate incident to Rishabh Pant. Now, if you want a man-to-man replacement, you can't get any closer to Pant than Ishan Kishan. So, he comes into my team. He should be included,” Muzumdar further added.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow-based franchise has announced Karun Nair as KL Rahul’s replacement for the remainder of the season. When it comes to the Indian team, BCCI is yet to make any comment but Ishan Kishan is likely to be the frontrunner to replace Rahul in the WTC final squad.