The Indian cricket team’s recent performances have been praised by many, but KL Rahul’s struggles with the bat have caught the attention of critics. With just 38 runs from three innings against Australia, Rahul’s position in the team has come under scrutiny. Former cricketer and national team selector Venkatesh Prasad has been vocal about Rahul’s place in the team, and now former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has joined the discussion.
Ganguly believes that Rahul’s struggles to score runs in India are the reason why he is facing criticism. “When you don’t score runs in India, obviously you will get flak. KL Rahul hasn’t been the only one. There have been players in the past also. There’s so much focus and attention with a lot of pressure on players,” he said.
Despite Rahul’s poor performances, the team management still considers him an important player, and he has been included in the remaining two Tests against Australia. However, he has been removed from his vice-captaincy duties, which suggests that he may be benched in the upcoming games. Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan are potential replacements for Rahul if he misses out.
Ganguly believes that Rahul has the ability to perform and will get more opportunities to prove himself. He also stated that young talent Shubman Gill will have to wait his turn to play for the Indian team.
The Indian team will host Australia in the third match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting on March 1 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. With a 2-0 lead, the Indian team is likely to remain unchanged or drop Rahul for the upcoming Test, while the visiting side will be missing their captain Pat Cummins, who has returned home due to family commitments.
