KL Rahul has been left out of India’s playing XI for the second ODI against England in Cardiff, and it has nothing to do with form. Captain Shubman Gill confirmed at the toss that Rahul is unwell and unavailable for selection. Ishan Kishan comes in as his replacement behind the stumps.
“KL is sick. So, Ishan comes in for him,” Gill said when asked about the team’s only change.
Rahul had a quiet outing with the bat in the series opener, which had led to some speculation that he may have been dropped. Gill’s comments at the toss made clear that illness, not form, is the reason he misses out.
Ishan Kishan Set to Bat at Number 4
According to India’s team sheet, Ishan Kishan is set to bat at number 4, the position Shreyas Iyer occupied in the first ODI. That pushes Iyer down to number 5, the spot Rahul normally bats at.
The reshuffle points to India wanting to keep a left-right combination through the middle order, with Kishan at 4, Iyer at 5, and another left-hander to follow at 6.
Kishan has batted at number 4 in ODIs eight times, scoring 264 runs at an average of 37.71 and a strike rate of 88.59. His last innings at the position came against Afghanistan, where he scored 125.
India’s Playing XI vs England, 2nd ODI
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna
India go into the match 1-0 up in the series after winning the first ODI. England won the toss at Sophia Gardens and chose to bowl first.