Indian batsman KL Rahul has been ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka that scheduled to be played in Galle from July 26 with viral fever. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed with a media release.

Rahul also didn’t take part in the practice session on Monday. While the rest of the squad traveled south of Colombo on a three-hour bus drive, Rahul stayed back in the capital city and remained under observation.

“The BCCI medical team confirms that opening batsman Mr. KL Rahul is presently down with viral fever. There are no major health concerns and he is making rapid progress, much to the satisfaction of the medical team. As a precautionary measure, Mr. KL Rahul is advised further rest and hence will not be available for selection for the first Test match against Sri Lanka, which starts on July 26 at Galle,” the release stated.

He was picked after almost three months as he was sustaining a shoulder injury. Though he played the preparatory game of the tour and scored a half-century the medical staff has now suggested the opener to opt out of the first clash. He also mentioned that he remains circumspect about the injury and fears if it would happen again.

“Yes, I am nervous. The body is still very unsure and it keeps holding me back every time. That’s the biggest challenge coming back from injury. You know that you are physically fit and you have done everything that you can, worked really hard, you are feeling stronger, you are feeling fitter.”

“But the mind always tells you what if it happens again, what if you have to go through the same grind for three months, what if your shoulder is not ready, what if you have come back early? The fear is obviously there but I will fight it and I will overcome that,” KL Rahul told bcci.tv.

The dashing Karnataka batsman had just come out of a four-month long break after he injured his shoulder during the Dharamsala Test against Australia. The injury needed him to undergo a surgery which led to him missing the IPL 2017 and Champions Trophy.

In the two-day practice game against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI, Rahul scored a quickfire 54 off just 58 balls, hitting seven boundaries. Despite scoring fifty, he was excluded from the playing XI of the first Test against Sri Lanka.

The opener’s slot has become an area of concern for the team management with injury issues rearing its head every now and then. M Vijay is already out as he has not fully recovered from the surgery on the wrist that he hurt during the Australia series. 

With Rahul not available for selection for the first Test anymore, Mukund would feature in his seventh Test and walk out with Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order.

India’s Squad:

Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, K. L. Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, W Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Abhinav Mukund.