IND vs AUS: IND AUS Delhi Test – KL Rahul is here to stay, at least for the Delhi Test if sources from the India Cricket Team are to be believed. There has been a huge uproar on dropping India Test vice-captain from the Playing XI following a poor run of form. With Shubman Gill warming the bench, the voices have been louder. But Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma are set to back KL Rahul for another Test. But if he fails in Delhi, as a senior BCCI official confirmed, he will be dropped in favour of Gill. Follow India vs Australia LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
“Rahul has the captain and coach’s trust. Everyone goes through bad run. Virat had an extended poor run of form. But he bounced back. We just need to be patient with Rahul too. He is a classy player and he will surely bounce back. Yes, he can be dropped as there is nothing called vice-captain’s immunity. But it’s the team management’s call. Any discussion will be after Delhi Test,” A senior BCCI official told InsideSport.
KL Rahul Nightmare run in last 12 months:
| KL Rahul in last 12 months | |||||||
| Format | Matches | Runs | HS | Average | 50 | 100 | SR |
| Tests | 3 | 77 | 23 | 15.4 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| ODIs | 9 | 236 | 73 | 33.71 | 2 | 0 | 79.46 |
| T20s | 16 | 434 | 62 | 28.93 | 6 | 0 | 126.53 |
IND vs AUS: Despite UPROAR, KL Rahul UNLIKELY to be DROPPED for Delhi Test, sources say ‘Any discussion on Rahul after 2nd Test’, Follow LIVE Updates
After his good run in SouthAfrica where KL Rahul scored a century, it has gone downhill, especially after making a comeback from sports hernia surgery. KL Rahul’s loss of form can be attributed to the injury struggles he has had in the last one year. But with stiff competition for spots in all three formats, time is at a premium.
Ex-India pacer from Karnataka Venkatesh Prasad lambasted Rahul’s selection in Tests. He labelled the call as favouritism as he believes KL Rahul has been “consistently inconsistent”. To note, Prasad applied for the selector’s role but was not even shortlisted.
“I have a lot of regard for KL Rahul’s talent and ability, but sadly his performances have been well below par. A test average of 34 after 46 tests and more than 8 years in international cricket is ordinary. Can’t think of many who have been given so many chances. Rahul’s selection is not based on performance but on favouritism. Has been Consistently inconsistent and for someone who has been around for 8 years not converted potential into performances,” Venkatesh Prasad tweeted.
I have a lot of regard for KL Rahul’s talent and ability, but sadly his performances have been well below par. A test average of 34 after 46 tests and more than 8 years in international cricket is ordinary. Can’t think of many who have been given so many chances. Especially..cont
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) February 11, 2023
However, India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has a different opinion on Shubman Gill vs KL Rahul debate. He believes his performance in the last two years, especially in England and SouthAdrica is enough to earn him an extended run.
“I feel the way he has batted in the last 1-2 years, he performed well. I feel he should be given one more chance. I’m sure he will be backed for the Test match in Delhi. After that you can give it a thought because you have an in-form batter ready to replace him, Shubman Gill,” Gavaskar told India Today.
IND vs AUS: Despite UPROAR, KL Rahul UNLIKELY to be DROPPED for Delhi Test, sources say ‘Any discussion on Rahul after 2nd Test’, Follow LIVE Updates
Madan Lal also backed Rahul to get back in form and retain his place over Shubman Gill for Delhi Test.
“He should definitely get a chance. Even when Vikram Rathour had come to the press conference he had reminded that he scored a century in South Africa. He does have the ability but he has been out of form lately…scoring against Australia is a big challenge in itself and getting those runs gives a morale boost. But he can been stuck here. However, based on his ability, he should get another chance,” Madan Lal said.
However, with Shreyas Iyer set to come back from injury and Shubman Gill hot on his heels, the next two innings will be his ultimate test of his life. To remind everyone, he has lost his place in the T20 team while he has been stripped of vice-captaincy in ODIs. Hence, it’s just a matter of time, the selectors drop him for Shubman or Sarfaraz Khan.
IND vs AUS: Despite UPROAR, KL Rahul UNLIKELY to be DROPPED for Delhi Test, sources say ‘Any discussion on Rahul after 2nd Test’, Follow LIVE Updates
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