3 reasons why KL Rahul should be dropped from the Indian Test side despite being the vice-captain
Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour launched a staunch defense of under-fire batter KL Rahul in the lead-up to the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Rathour claimed that the Indian vice-captain has had good numbers in the recent past and said:
“I wouldn’t be able to comment on that. To be fair to KL, in the last 10 Test innings (matches) that he has played, he has, I think, couple of hundreds and couple of fifties. He has a hundred in South Africa and one in England. He has a couple of fifties as well. So, I don’t think we are there.”
Unfortunately, though, that's far from the truth. Rahul has managed only 180 runs in his last 10 Test innings, with just one fifty to his name. In 2022, he notched up just 137 runs in four matches at an average of 17.13 and a strike rate of 36.15.
The 30-year-old was dismissed cheaply in the first Test as well, and it might be time for Rohit Sharma and Co. to make some bold decisions.
Here are three reasons why KL Rahul should be dropped from the Indian Test side despite being the vice-captain.
#3 The manner of KL Rahul's dismissals has been concerning
Time's run-out for KL Rahul, who I think is on a similar irrevocable muddle with his Test game as Rahane. The pattern, the indecisiveness at the crease, the inconsistency... It's all similar. Since 2018, from his past 46 innings, he averages 26.57.
It's not just that KL Rahul hasn't been scoring runs; he has been getting out in bizarre ways, too. He has inspired barely any confidence at the crease and doesn't seem capable of playing big innings.
In fact, Rahul seems to lose momentum as his innings wears on, and the numbers back up that claim. In the first Test against Australia, the opening batter did all the hard work and saw off the new ball, playing over 70 balls. However, he was sent back by Todd Murphy in innocuous fashion, spooning a catch back to the debutant.
Captain Rohit Sharma looked understandably displeased at the non-striker's end.
Even in the previous Test series against Bangladesh, Rahul was dismissed by Khaled Ahmed twice in the opening game to nothing shots.
#2 KL Rahul has already been given a long rope despite poor returns
India have given KL Rahul a long rope irrespective of his recent returns. Yes, he notched up two stellar centuries against England and South Africa respectively, but his numbers outside those two knocks have been rather poor.
After commencing his tour of England with three superb knocks, Rahul managed scores of 5, 0, 8, 17 and 46 in his next few innings. The same pattern repeated itself in South Africa, where he started the assignment with a century and a fifty in his first three innings but followed it up with scores of 8, 12 and 10.
Over the course of his 46-match Test career, Rahul has averaged 34.08. Those numbers are quite frankly unbecoming for an international Indian player, and you could argue that time has already run out for the batter.
#1 There are better options waiting in the wings
Shubman Gill has become an ODI regular, and it's only a matter of time before he cracks the Test format too. The young batter is technically sound and has the ability to bat time, two things that are essential to him becoming an all-format great.
It is about time India started trusting their youth in red-ball cricket, and Gill fits the bill perfectly. His recent displays warrant him getting a long run in the longest format of the game. While he could be more suited to a middle-order role, the only vacancy is at the top right now.
KL Rahul being dropped would also free up a spot in the squad for the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran. The trio have been plundering runs at lower levels of cricket and deserve a chance. Consequently, India will be a much better outfit in the long run.