IND vs ENG: Will Dhruv Jurel bat instead of Rishabh Pant? Here's what ICC rule says

The ongoing fourth Test at Manchester has put India in turmoil, with their wicketkeeper and X-factor Rishabh Pant sustaining an injury while attempting to reverse sweep Chris Woakes late on day one. On the fourth delivery of the 68th over, Pant, in his audacious nature, tried to execute the reverse sweep, only to get an inside edge and hit on the right foot. Pant was seen in pain, tried to limp and was taken off the field in an ambulance cart. Several media reports suggest that he has been ruled out for six weeks with a suspected metatarsal bone fracture in his right foot, meaning he might miss batting in the do-or-die Manchester Test. If Pant is ruled out, every Indian fan is wondering.

Will Jurel bat for India in place of Rishabh Pant?

The ICC law indicates that Dhruv Jurel will take on the wicketkeeping role but will not bat in either inning.

Since 2017, the MCC has changed the Laws of Cricket to permit substitutes to keep wickets, although they are not allowed to bat or bowl. According to ICC rules, only concussion substitutes and those affected by COVID-19 can bat or bowl in place of another player, while injury substitutes are restricted to fielding duties only. Let's have a glance at the concussion rules.

According to ICC's playing conditions clause 1.2.7.1, 'If a player sustains a concussion or suspected concussion as a result of a head or neck injury during the course of the relevant match, a Concussion Replacement may be permitted. The head or neck injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area' and clause 1.2.7.1.3.4, ‘identify the requested Concussion Replacement from the list of nominated concussion replacements submitted for the match, who shall be a like-for-like replacement for the player who has sustained the concussion or suspected concussion.’

That means Dhruv Jurel will take on the wicketkeeping duties for India, as Rishabh Pant has been ruled out due to injury. If Pant had been ruled out due to a concussion (head or neck injury), he would have been eligible to bat for India. This is a significant setback for the team, as they will miss Rishabh Pant's services.