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Rahul to miss Bangladesh Test with illness

KL Rahul will miss India's lone Test in Bangladesh due to an ailment

Amol Karhadkar
Amol Karhadkar
06-Jun-2015
KL Rahul had followed up his Sydney Test hundred with 838 runs from five Ranji Trophy matches  •  PTI

KL Rahul had followed up his Sydney Test hundred with 838 runs from five Ranji Trophy matches  •  PTI

KL Rahul will miss India's lone Test in Bangladesh due to an ailment. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur confirmed that Rahul has "an illness" and will not join the squad. It is understood that the Karnataka batsman is suffering from dengue.
Since the BCCI had asked all the 15 members of the Test squad to report in Kolkata on Saturday for a fitness test, Rahul flew to the city despite the illness. The medical staff ruled him out immediately upon examining his condition.
With the Test squad including M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, the selectors, after being consulted by Thakur, decided not to replace Rahul with a reserve opener.
Rahul's illness gives his Sunrisers Hyderabad team-mate Dhawan a shot at comeback after being dropped for the Sydney Test. Dhawan was going through a wretched run of form then, but made a good comeback in the World Cup, scoring 412 runs at 51.50, including two centuries.
Rahul himself had a wretched debut, scoring 3 and 1 in two nervous innings in the Melbourne Test, but came back strongly with a century in Sydney. The only Test in Bangladesh is India's first Test since the Sydney game.
After returning from Australia, Rahul had racked up 838 runs from five Ranji Trophy matches at an average of 93.11, including a triple-century against Uttar Pradesh and 188 against Tamil Nadu in the final.

Amol Karhadkar is a correspondent at ESPNcricinfo