After the completion of the Border-Gavaskar series, the focus now turns to the white-ball format with Champions Trophy approaching. India will take on England in a T20I and an ODI series ahead of the 50-over ICC tournament that gets underway on February 19.
As reported by PTI, Rahul has asked for a break from the upcoming five-match T20I and a three-match ODI series which will begin on January 22 with the T20Is first. While he has sought a break, Rahul will be available for selection for the Champions Trophy.
"He has sought a break for the England series but he will be available for selection for the Champions Trophy," a BCCI source told PTI on Thursday.
Rahul has not played in any T20I since the 2022 World Cup but is very much in the scheme of things in ODIs. He was India's first-choice wicketkeeper in the ODI World Cup 2023; however, with the return of Rishabh Pant, there will be competition breathing under his neck in the 50-over format from now on.
Notably, Rahul had earlier sought a break from Karnataka's matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The knockouts of the domestic tournament are underway and Rahul's team is set to face Baroda in the fourth quarterfinal on January 11.
Coming back to the Indian team, the selectors are reportedly set to meet on Saturday, January 11 to pick a provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and for the three ODIs against England. The final date to announce the initial Champions Trophy squad is January 12.
Rahul is one of three wicketkeepers being considered for the 50-over format. While he is the frontrunner, Pant and Sanju Samson are the other options in the fray for a spot in the squad.
Rahul was one of the few Indian batters to hit some notable contributions in the Border-Gavaskar series. He had scored 276 runs in 10 innings at an average of 30.66 and was the third-highest run-scorer from the Indian team during the five-match series.
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