For several days, KL Rahul has been the talk of the town due to his poor performance in Test matches. The opener has gone 10 innings without scoring a half-century, resulting in him losing the vice-captaincy in Tests and facing potential exclusion from the playing eleven for the last two Border Gavaskar Trophy Tests.
During the commentary of the ongoing series, Indian wicketkeeper-batter, Dinesh Karthik, expressed sympathy for Rahul, acknowledging his struggles to regain form. In the second innings of Australia’s second Test in Delhi, Rahul was dismissed for just one run, flicking a back-of-a-length delivery to Peter Handscomb at forward short leg, who blocked the ball with his pads and body, sending it to keeper Alex Carey.
“He also knows for a fact that if he’s going to be dropped for the next match, which is pretty much an eventuality, it is not because of the one innings, it is because of what has transpired in the last five-six Test matches. He is a class player. He is very good in all formats. At this point, I don’t think it’s the technique, it’s what is happening between the ears. He might need some time away from the game. Come back fresh for the ODIs,” Karthik said.
Karthik stated that Rahul’s probable exclusion from the playing XI for the third Test would be due to his lackluster performance in the past ten innings. He also believed that Rahul needed time away from the game and could potentially make a comeback in the ODIs. Karthik, who had experienced similar situations during his career, understood Rahul’s plight and mentioned that he would sometimes shed a tear or two in the restroom in such circumstances.
