KL Rahul sustained a muscle strain on his left thighKanpur: KL Rahul, India's first player on Tuesday, was disqualified from two rounds of testing against New Zealand due to strain in his left thigh. It was full of hope. The first test is due to start Thursday in Kanpur and Suryakumar is part of the Indian team.KL Rahul has been ruled out of the two-match Test series against New Zealand that begins in Kanpur from Thursday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, in a media statement, said that the India opener had sustained a muscle strain on his left thigh. Suryakumar Yadav has been added to the squad as KL Rahul's replacement. Rahul's injury is a massive setback to the Indian team with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli already missing. Kohli will return to lead the side in the second Test in Mumbai but Rohit has been rested from the entire series."Team India batsman Mr. KL Rahul has sustained a muscle strain on his left thigh and has been ruled out of the upcoming 2-match Paytm Test series against New Zealand. He will now undergo rehabilitation at NCA in preparation for the series against South Africa scheduled next month. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mr. Suryakumar Yadav as KL Rahul's replacement," the BCCI said in a media statement.KL Rahul will now undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru in preparation for the upcoming tour of South Africa, scheduled next month.The 29-year-old Rahul has featured in 40 Tests, scoring 2321 runs at an average of 35.16. His highest score was 199 that came against England in Chennai in 2016.For live updates to visit here - PITCHHIGH
Mumbai: The champions of Chennai Super Kings will kick off the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League against former winner Kolkata Knights Riders on Saturday when the Twenty20 Championship returns home with an expanded edition after adding two new teams.The entire 2020 edition of the cash-rich tournament and the second half of last year's tournament were held in the UAE as India battled the COVID-19 pandemic.Mumbai will host 55 matches at three stadiums in and around the city, while Pune, also located in the western state of Maharashtra, will host the remaining 15 matches in the league, meaning there will be no need for air travel for the ten franchises.With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the country during the 2022 edition, fans will be able to attend matches with a 25% occupancy limit.The IPL, which counts Bollywood stars and billionaires among its franchises and attracts the best cricketers from around the world, will receive a combined payment of $1.7 billion from Lucknow and Ahmedabad to participate in the world's largest cricket tournament. After that, it will be expanded to 10 teams.One of the most consistent teams since the tournament began in 2008, Chennai beat Kolkata to claim their fourth IPL title last year, and Saturday's season-opener will be a repeat of 2021 final.The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a statement, "The match will be a very important occasion as the 15th edition of the Indian Junior League will welcome the fans back to the stadium after a short break due to the epidemic."Kolkata will have a chance to take revenge on Saturday at Wankedi Stadium overlooking the Arabian Sea, as the two teams will have new leaders at this year's edition.India's former World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in a surprise announcement on Thursday, handed the reins of Chennai to Ravindra Jadeja, the five-time national team runner-up."Jadeja, who has been an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will be the third player to lead CSK," the team said. Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond.Kolkata will be led by Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer.Bangalore's royal challengers were also forced to change leadership and Pfaff du Plessis was appointed as their leader after the resignation of leading Indian batsman Virat Kohli.Rohit Sharma will take charge of the five-time title-winning India captain, as the team will play 11 of 14 league matches at three stadiums in their cities."It's a relatively new team, a lot of new people have joined in," Rohit told reporters. "70-80% of the team has never played in Mumbai before. So there is no added advantage."Read More -IPL 2022: Teams who best win percentage in IPL history
