KL Rahul Named In Karnataka Squad But Not Appointed Captain. This RCB Star To Lead

India's star batter KL Rahul has been named in Karnataka's squad for their upcoming 2025/26 Ranji Trophy match against Punjab in Mohali, starting January 29. Rahul's inclusion will be a significant boost for Karnataka, while the team will be led by Devdutt Padikkal, who plays for Royal Challengers Benglauru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speedster Prasidh Krishna is also included in the squad, further bolstering their pace attack. In a major blow to Karnataka's middle-order experience veteran batter Karun Nair will miss the match due to injury. Rahul's last red-ball match was against South Africa in November last year.

Karnataka will now eye a much-needed win after a massive defeat to Madhya Pradesh by 217 runs. Karnataka started their Ranji Trophy campaign with draws against Saurashtra and Goa in October last year.

Karnataka then defeated Kerala and Chandigarh to get their season going, while drawing one against Maharashtra. The team will be looking to bounce back and secure a victory against Punjab.

Karnataka Squad: Mayank Agarawal, KL Rahul, Aneesh KV, Devdutt Padikkal (Captain), Smaran R, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (WK), Venkatesh M, Vidyadhar Patil, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prasidh M Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Shikhar Shetty, Shrijith KL (WK), and Dhruv Prabhakar.

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Topics mentioned in this article

KL Rahul Devdutt Padikkal KAR Royal Challengers Bengaluru Ranji Trophy Cricket