"KL Rahul should make a bold statement" - Danish Kaneria on the Indian batter's underwhelming form
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes that KL Rahul himself should understand that he doesn't deserve to be a part of the Indian team, considering that he has been struggling for form for quite some time now.
He suggested that the batter should come forward and use social media to tell the fans that he will be back in the national side only when he does well in domestic cricket.
The 42-year-old also pointed out how Rahul failed to make a significant impact with the bat during his stint in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaneria remarked:
"KL Rahul should make a bold statement by tweeting 'I will be back'. He needs to show courage and accept that, based on his current form, he doesn't deserve to be a part of the Indian team."
The iconic Pakistan spinner added:
"He should understand that he cannot be unfair to the guys who are in great form. He should say that he will let the selectors think about him again when he does well in domestic cricket."
He continued:
"KL Rahul has become the talk of the town and has been trolled left, right and center. No doubt he is a fantastic cricketer, but his form has totally disappeared. He is not there, mentally or physically. Every time he gets dropped, they somehow bring him back. Despite not having done anything, he was named in India's squad for the WTC final."
Kaneria opined that instead of giving Rahul the long rope yet again, the Indian selectors should consider giving opportunities to newer guys who have done well in the recent past, adding:
"He didn't have a very good IPL and is struggling for him. His hand-eye coordination hasn't been up to the mark. I think he should be kept away from the Indian team for some time. A lot of new faces have emerged, and they should be tried out."
KL Rahul was under the scanner following a string of poor performances in red-ball cricket earlier this year. He failed to impress during India's four-match Test series against Australia and was dropped from the playing XI after the first two games.
He was named in India's squad for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, he was later ruled out due to a thigh injury that he picked up while fielding in the IPL 2023.
"One should only criticize someone if they have a solution to the problem" - Danish Kaneria on KL Rahul's detractors
Danish Kaneria further mentioned that KL Rahul has been subjected to a lot of criticism due to his dismal form. He, however, suggested that only those who have a solution to Rahul's struggles should criticize him.
He claimed that playing a lot of cricket could be the reason behind the Indian batter's recent failure. Kaneria urged Rahul to go back to domestic cricket and work on his basics, elaborating:
"So many people have criticized him. But I believe that one should only criticize someone if they have a solution to the problem. According to me, Rahul should go back to the basics. You tend to be stale if you play a lot of cricket consistently, and the same has happened with Rahul as well. He should go back to domestic cricket."
Rahul was last seen in action leading the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2023. He mustered 274 runs from nine outings at a strike rate of 113.22 before being ruled out due to injury.