No break for KL Rahul as BCCI asks him to gear up for the ICC Champions Trophy

With each passing day bringing us closer to another thrilling ICC tournament, participants are finalizing their squads for the Champions Trophy. India, meanwhile, faces a tricky task in selecting their key players, with ODIs having taken a backseat in their recent series. India last played an ODI series during the Sri Lanka tour in mid-2024. When viewed broadly, the Sri Lanka tour was India’s only 50-over series following the 2023 ODI World Cup. With such limited matches as a reference point, it’s almost like forming a fresh squad for India ahead of the Champions Trophy. It seems the board is not willing to ease up on their primary prospects, as KL Rahul’s request for a break from the game has reportedly been turned down.

BCCI wants KL Rahul to play ODI series against England ahead of ICC Champions Trophy

KL Rahul assisted India in their Border Gavaskar Trophy campaign, playing all the five matches down under. The result didn’t favor India, as Australia reclaimed the trophy after a decade with a 3-1 series victory. Regardless of the outcome, the BGT demanded immense effort from the players over the course of more than a month. Meanwhile, KL Rahul followed up the series by requesting a break from cricket. Rahul was vying for a wicket-keeping spot in the squad against Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Initial reports indicated that the selection committee had accepted Rahul's request, shifting their focus entirely to Rishabh Pant. However, it now appears that the board has asked Rahul to participate in the ODI series against England to strengthen his case for suitability in the Champions Trophy.

The BCCI selection panel, led by former pacer Ajit Agarkar, has turned down KL Rahul's request to skip the entire white-ball home series against England. The series is set to kick off with a five-match T20I series on January 22 in Kolkata. While already phased out of India's T20I set-up, Rahul's leave request encompassed the three-match ODI series also. Initially, the selection committee had agreed to his request but has now reversed its decision. According to reports, the Agarkar-led panel "reassessed" the situation and decided that Rahul should play in the ODI series, which begins on February 6.

The three-match ODI series will serve as a crucial opportunity for India to finalize their squad for the Champions Trophy, starting on February 19. The selectors want KL Rahul, who is now considered slightly ahead of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as the first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs, to gain match practice before the tournament. With India not having played an ODI since August 7, his availability for the England series is deemed vital.

Rahul’s form in the recent Test series against Australia has also bolstered his case. While India’s batting lineup struggled, Rahul stood out as one of the few consistent performers, scoring 276 runs in 10 innings at an average of 30.66, making him India’s third-highest run-scorer in the series. The update comes after Rahul had requested to skip Karnataka’s matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with their quarterfinal scheduled for the weekend.