KL Rahul is a fantastic player. There is no doubt about that. When he’s in top form, the Indian opener is a joy to watch. However, his bat isn’t producing runs. Rahul batted for 20 runs in the Nagpur Test against Australia, which did not justify his inclusion at the cost of Shubman Gill.
That begs the question: Does Rahul deserve a spot on the team? No, claims former India bowler Venkatesh Prasad, who took to Twitter to accuse Rahul of favoritism for his continuous inclusion in the Indian team. Former players Sunil Gavaskar and Madan Lal disagreed with Prasad’s stance and advocated for another chance for Rahul.
Rahul’s adds score in the past ten innings
Now consider what has occurred. Whenever Rahul is on the verge of getting dropped, he delivers a solid inning before reverting to his normal form of low scores. The T20 World Cup in Australia is a prime example when Rahul’s inconsistency was one of the reasons for India’s slow start.
Return to Test cricket. Rahul had hit hundreds of people during his recent tours of England and South Africa, but there wasn’t much beyond the century. His past ten innings totals are 23, 50, 8, 12, 10, 22, 23, 10, 2, and 20. These numbers aren’t flattering enough to earn a spot in India’s team and keep out numerous quality batters.
“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.”
Prasad added.
To be honest, Rahul’s international career has been hampered by injuries and surgeries. Despite this, he has pitched some outstanding innings. However, he has not been consistent enough to earn a spot on the team.
Consider Virat Kohli, who has remained an important member of the squad despite failing to score a century for more than two years. Despite the lack of hundreds, Kohli continued to score runs, but not at his normal blistering rate, forcing detractors to erroneously label him a failure. That hasn’t been the case with Rahul, whose efforts have been pitiful.
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