"Consistency in Test Cricket and realising his true potential is what he needs to aspire"- Venkatesh Prasad on KL Rahul
Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad appreciated wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul for making a good comeback and performing well in ODIs this year and in the recently concluded Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion.
Rahul missed a couple of months of action after getting injured in May during the IPL. He underwent surgery and then completed his rehabilitation at the NCA before making a stellar comeback in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
The 31-year-old hit a phenomenal century against Pakistan in that tournament and never looked back after that. KL Rahul also had a great run in the 2023 World Cup, batting at No. 5, scoring 452 runs in 11 games at an average of 75.33, including 2 half-centuries and 1 century.
KL Rahul then reinvented himself in red-ball cricket and took over a new role as a wicket-keeping middle-order batter in his comeback match against South Africa last week. He adapted well and scored a phenomenal fighting century in the very first innings in challenging conditions and proved himself.
Venkatesh Prasad was highly critical of KL Rahul's inconsistent performances in Test cricket last year and also proved his point of view by backing up by posting his stats on the X platform at that time.
However, Prasad has now acknowledged Rahul's recent performances and opined that he should aspire to improve consistency in Tests and realize his true potential. Responding to a fan's query about Rahul during a Q&A session on X, Venkatesh Prasad wrote:
"He has had a great year in one day cricket and in his comeback test in centurion played a wonderful knock in the first innings. Happy for him. Consistency in Test Cricket and realising his true potential is what he needs to aspire for imho."
KL Rahul will be back in action next week when India takes on South Africa in the New Year Test
Team India got off to a poor start in the 2-match Test series with an innings and 32-run loss in the first Test in Centurion. Both batting and bowling departments failed miserably in the match as South Africa dominated in all facets.
The two teams will next square off in the second Test, which will commence on January 3 in Cape Town. India needs to win the match to avoid a whitewash. Avesh Khan has been added to the squad for this match in place of injured Mohammed Shami.