Alongside KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikal and Prasidh Krishna’s names have been added to the possible checklist for Karnataka.
KL Rahul has looked one of India’s best batters in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Despite his selection being in question prior to the series, he batted brilliantly in Perth, where Rahul was one of the cornerstones of India’s famous win. In Adelaide, he got another start but failed to convert. However, almost 8,659 kilometres from the Adelaide Oval, Rahul’s name was added to the probable squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Karnataka.
On Tuesday, Karnataka released their 32-man probable squad. The roster, shared by SportsStar, included KL Rahul’s name, who is with the Indian team Down Under. Along with him, the list features Prasidh Krishna and Devdutt Padikkal. While Krishna is expected to play a key role in the upcoming BGT matches for India, Padikkal was part of the winning Indian in Perth. However, one major name missing from the probable squad is Manish Pandey, who has contributed for Karnataka since 2007.
Will BGT allow KL Rahul to play for Karnataka in VHT?
While his name is added to the 32-man list, will KL Rahul be able to play or not? Well, the answer is fairly simple: no. This is due to the BGT. The fifth and last Test of the India vs Australia series is scheduled to end on January 7. Meanwhile, this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy will run from December 21, 2024, to January 18, 2025.
Given that KL Rahul is expected to play all five Tests for India, he won’t be available till January 7, at least. Then there would be a cooling period, which is absolutely necessary after such a high-octane series, that stretches for almost 50 days. Mind you, KL Rahul landed in Australia way early, as he even played an unofficial Test for India A against Australia A. Karnataka’s last league match in Vijay Hazare is on January 5.
Having said that, the semis and the final for VHT are on Jan 15, 16, and 18, respectively. Hence, if Karnataka qualifies, there is a slight possibility that KL Rahul joins his state team and adds star power to India’s premier 50-over domestic tournament.
Karnataka Probable squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy
K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, L.R. Chethan, Macneil Noronha, Shreyas Gopal, K.L. Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Manoj Bhandage, Hardik Raj, V. Koushik, Vidyadhar Patil, Shubhang Hegde, Abhilash Shetty, Mohsin Khan, R. Smaran, Luvnith Sisodia, V. Vyshak, Manvanth Kumar, Yashovardhan Parantap, Pravin Dubey, M. Venkatesh, Nikin Jose, K.V. Aneesh, K. Shashikumar, Paras Gurbax Arya, Shikhar Shetty, Kishan Bedare, Harshil Dharmani, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kruthik Krishna.
Editor’s Pick
High Tales