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KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel Picked In India A Squad; To Practice In Unofficial Test Before BGT 2024

KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel to leave for Australia early for extra practice [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel to leave for Australia early for extra practice [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

In a notable development, Express Sports reported that KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel have been added to the India A squad currently on tour to Australia. Both the players are expected to feature in the second 4-day unofficial game against Australia A to get extra practice ahead of Border Gavaskar Series.

Team India hit the panic button with the brutal series sweep defeat against New Zealand in a 3-game Test series at home. This marked the lowest point in India's Test history with WTC final qualification at stake, the upcoming 5-game Test series against Australia is a do-or-die tour.

To qualify for the WTC 2025 finals, India must win 4 of the remaining 5 Tests, and given its recent form, BCCI is concerned about the players' readiness. Notably, India A is already on tour to Australia for a two 4-day game series against Australia A. They lost the first unofficial Test in Mackay and the second game is scheduled from November 7-10 at MCG.

Kl Rahul, Dhruv Jurel to board an early flight to Australia

Meanwhile, Express Sports recently reported that the BCCI have decided to send KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel to Australia early by adding the duo in the India-A squad. They will likely participate in the second 4-day game against Australia A to get some extra practice ahead of the Border Gavaskar series opener in Perth.

Rahul and Jurel are part of the 18-member Indian squad announced for the upcoming Test series with Jurel likely serving as a back-up wicketkeeper to Rishabh Pant. However, Rahul is likely to replace Sarfaraz Khan, which makes this unofficial Test a crucial phase for him.

It's important to note that the intra-squad practice game between India A and India senior team previously scheduled at Perth is cancelled to avoid last-minute injuries. 

Rohit, Virat's future in Tests hinges on BGT tour

The home Test series defeat against New Zealand will cost some of the Indian senior players their place in the Test team. As per reports, the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series could be a last assignment for any two of the four seniors i.e Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin. If India fails to qualify for the WTC 2025 finals, at least two seniors will be dropped immediately from the Test team, a BCCI source told PTI.