New Delhi: The unwell KL Rahul's absence might have given a big headache to Virat Kohli ahead of Galle opener, but when asked about playing Rohit Sharma as opener in place of Rahul, the Indian skipper ruled out the possibility of that happening. (IND vs SL: Galle Test Preview | Full Coverage)
The BCCI, in a release, revealed that Rahul has been kept out of the series opener as a precautionary measure.
"The BCCI medical team confirms that opening batsman Mr. KL Rahul is presently down with viral fever. There are no major health concerns and he is making rapid progress, much to the satisfaction of the medical team," said the BCCI in the statement.
"As a precautionary measure, Mr. KL Rahul is advised further rest and hence will not be available for selection for the first Test match against Sri Lanka, which starts on July 26 at Galle," it added.
On the eve of the Test series opener, Kohli was asked if he would promote Rohit further up the order in place of injured Rahul, the Indian captain, however, said that the team already has specialist openers who can fill the void created by Rahul.
“Rohit has never opened in a Test cricket and we don’t see that kind of experiment happening here because we have specialist openers in the team and they will obviously be starting this game,” said the Indian captain.
On the possibility of Rahul being fir for the second Test, Kohli said, “Rahul is unfortunately down with fever. Luckily, it is not anything serious. So he will get back in a few days. KL is a very established player for us, a very solid player. These kinds of scenarios present other players in the team with an opportunity to step up,” he said.
In Rahul's absence, Shikhar Dhawan, Abhinav Mukund and Ajinkya Rahane are the only choices Kohli has for two opening spots
