KL Rahul believes it is always good to put himself in "challenging situations"
LSG skipper KL Rahul said Mayank had complained of slight pain in his sides.
India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who played in the fifth and final Test at The Oval against England in their last assignment, has been named Iyer's deputy.
In a series finale defined by pressure and fine margins, the Indian dressing room found its anchor in an unexpected source - the Shri Shiva Rudrashtakam.
'The wicket was a little spicy, so I was having a lot of fun batting.'
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Earlier, after being 0-2 early in their second innings, India continued to battle on to frustrate England on day five, the tourists doing everything possible to keep the series alive on 322-4 at tea.
With the England series behind him, Rahul is soaking up every moment of fatherhood -- making up for lost time with Evaarah and cherishing the quieter joys of life off the field.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Following India's optional training session at the Wankhede Stadium, fielding coach T Dilip said the team had improved in a lot of areas and also backed the under-fire KL Rahul.
While coming at No. 5, Rahul's role as a batsman is not easy - he either has very few overs to make an impact after a top-order mayhem or he has to consolidate after a top-order malfunction.
'We did go through a few name books that friends sent over. Then I googled 'Evaarah' and looked up the meaning.'
While Rahul, who can bat practically anywhere in the line-up, is likely to succeed Rohit as Jaiswal's opening partner, either Gill or Karun Nair is likely to fill the void of Kohli at number four.
In a big blow to the Indian team, the hosts will miss Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul for the second Test against England.
Atkinson, who is playing his first Test of the series following a hamstring strain, said that he is "ready to push the limits" in case Woakes does not take any further part.
With over 500 runs, six crucial catches, the most by an Indian on the tour, Rahul led by example and lived up to his wiseman tag.
As India got off to a strong start in the must-win fourth Test for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, opener K L Rahul achieved a major career milestone, joining an elite list of Indian batters with 1,000 or more Test runs in England.
England gained the upper hand after a rain-hit first day of the final Test, needing victory to square the series, battled to 204-6, with all their big guns dismissed cheaply.
'KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have not played matches. Playing in a big game like Asia Cup or World Cup is totally different, there is a lot going on. Your level of fitness has to be more than 100%. I hope they are fit.'
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England due to a knee injury.
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
Thakur, who resumed Day 3 unbeaten, brought up his century with ease, reinforcing his case as the ideal seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the Leeds Test.
With three centuries already in the series, Gill could join Don Bradman and Gavaskar in the elite club of captains who've hit the most hundreds in a single Test series, if he converts his current innings into a fourth on Day 5.
'You have to move ahead with whatever (players) you have and ensure they perform.'
The 107-run partnership between Jaiswal-Akash Deep was a turning point in India's second innings.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the third Test match, played between England and India at Lord's, London, on Saturday.
India's heroes from Old Trafford took to social media to share what the draw meant to them - not just as cricketers, but as fighters.
Former World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh led the accolades, hailing the team's 'serious temperament' and singling out the standout performers who defied the odds.
Bangar delved into the critical consideration of KL Rahul's involvement as a wicketkeeper-batsman and how this strategic decision aligns with India's quest for balance
'Ideally we would have wanted about 40 runs more'.
ndia will be very happy after a technical masterpiece from Rahul and the flamboyance and exuberance that you can imagine from Pant
India didn't have "extra fire" in the lost opening Test against South Africa but a "mental shift" turned things around, said KL Rahul after the visitors won the second game to level the two-match rubber in Cape Town.
India lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul on a green top but did well to reach 72 for two at lunch on Day 1 of the series-deciding fifth Test against England at The Oval, London, on Thursday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the third Test match between England and India at Lord's, London, on Friday.
LSG skipper KL Rahul fined Rs 12 lakhs for maintaining slow overrate
The 25-year-old captain struck 13 fours and eight sixes to make 161 off 162 balls, following up his first-innings' 269 to become only the second Indian after legendary Sunil Gavaskar to have scored a double century and a ton in a Test.
Rahul will, in all probability, travel to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup and the India team for the tournament will be selected on August 21.
Delhi Capitals' marquee signing KL Rahul is expected to miss the first two matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Friday
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