"He cannot keep playing the same way and expect to be picked all the time" - Sourav Ganguly's blunt verdict on KL Rahul
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly reckons that KL Rahul seems to lack confidence at present, which is why he has been struggling with his batting. Issuing a veiled warning to the talented yet underperforming cricketer, Ganguly stated that he cannot expect to keep getting picked in the Indian team if he does not improve his game.
Rahul has been one of the biggest enigmas of Indian cricket over the last decade. Despite having played 53 Test matches, he has only managed 2,981 at an underwhelming average of 33.87. The 32-year-old was dropped from the T20I side after India's semifinal exit in the 2022 T20 World Cup and has also been released by his IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the mega auction.
Speaking to Revsportz, Ganguly opined that Rahul is struggling due to the lack of faith he has shown in his own abilities. He advised the elegant batter to look in the mirror and pull up his socks before time runs out.
"Yeah, confidence. He has to speak to himself. He has to speak to himself and say, just put everything behind. Ups and downs are part and parcel of sports. Confidence will go up and down. You have to bring it back by working hard in the nets. I know he has gone through a lot. Lucknow Super Giants have released him..." Ganguly said.
"In and out of the team, he is seeing young players play well in T20s. You see what they have done in South Africa. He has to change and cannot keep playing the same way and expect to be picked all the time, because somebody else will come and get picked. So, I think he has got to sit with himself and get away from everything, all his friends and family, team and IPL owners, auctions and self-discover," the 52-year-old added.
With Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill unlikely to be part of the Indian playing XI for first Test against Australia in Perth, the visitors will need Rahul to step up. The 32-year-old suffered an injury scare during the team's match simulation in WACA, but is fit to feature in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on Friday, November 22.
KL Rahul has a poor Test record in Australia
While Rahul has a disappointing Test record overall, his numbers in red-ball cricket in Australia are also very poor. Having made his debut in the Boxing Day Test of 2014 in Melbourne, the right-handed batter has scored just 187 runs in nine innings at an average of 20.77.
Of his total runs in Australia in Tests, 110 came in Sydney in January 2015. Since then, he has a highest score of 44 in six innings.