Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth has joined the debate over KL Rahul’s place in the Indian Test side and has suggested that young opener Shubman Gill should be included in the current squad for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With Rahul’s struggling form in the current Test series, many former cricketers have been weighing in on the issue.
Srikkanth has expressed his admiration for the class of Rahul, whom he refers to as Rolls Royce Rahul, but believes that the 30-year-old needs a break to regain his form. Speaking to the Times of India, the former World Cup winner stated that from a selector’s perspective, it was time to look beyond Rahul, who has yet to play a significant inning in the ongoing Test series.
Srikkanth, who appreciates Rahul’s batting style and his past exploits for India on international soil, suggested that there was a major mental blockage that the opener was suffering from. The veteran cricketer cum commentator advised Rahul to take a break from cricket and work on regaining his form. He believes that Shubman Gill, who is in the blazing form at present, should replace Rahul as the opening partner for Rohit Sharma in the third Test.
Srikkanth acknowledged that there was nothing wrong with Rahul’s batting technique but believes that it was time to give another talented cricketer the chance to prove himself. He emphasized that “you can’t keep a player waiting when he is in the form of his life.”
