Former India cricket team batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that the series against England will be the perfect opportunity for KL Rahul to stamp his authority. Following the departure of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the Karnataka batter is among the very few seniors left in the side. The five-match Test series against England, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, will commence from June 20 onwards.
Bangar’s hot take on KL Rahul
Speaking on Star Sports, Bangar noted that Rahul had played under the shadows of marquee players like Virat, Rohit, Rahane and Pujara. The series against England will mark Rahul’s 10th year in the Indian team, having made his debut back in 2014. Bangar opined that the England series will be the perfect opportunity for the batter to come out of these shadows and prove his worth.
“I think what he is expecting from himself is going to be extremely critical. Now that he has been with the team since 2014, it’s 10 long years, he has the opportunity to come outside the shadows of maybe Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma. He has always played under the shadow of these marquee players,” Bangar said.
Bangar further said that the upcoming WTC cycle could be a very exciting phase for Rahul. He claimed that if the batter indeed manages to stamp his authority in this period, then he could be considered as one of India’s Test greats. Bangar said that KL’s confidence will be boosted by the fact that he has been able to score hundreds across the globe in trying conditions.
“So that’s a huge opportunity for him, and he has got all the experience. Along with that, what should give him confidence is that he has scored hundreds under trying circumstances all around the globe. So, I believe exciting phase for KL Rahul from hereon,” Bangar added.
