"Name one player who has scored runs from beginning to end" - Gautam Gambhir backs struggling KL Rahul
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) team mentor Gautam Gambhir recently opened up on Team India opener KL Rahul's dismal form with the bat in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia.
Gambhir opined that those who have attacked Rahul for his poor performances are unaware of how difficult international cricket can be. He mentioned that it is essential to support the player, mainly when he is out of form.
The former India cricketer pointed out that it isn't possible for a batter to score big runs in all matches. He emphasized that every player goes through a rough patch and instead of ripping him apart, people should support him during such a period.
Gambir made these remarks while speaking to Sports Tak at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. He said:
"People who are talking about KL Rahul don't know how tough international cricket is. I believe when a player is not performing he needs more backing compared to when he is playing well. Name one player who has scored runs from beginning to end. Everyone has faced that phase and you should back the talent."
Notably, Rahul has had to bear the brunt of fans following his recent failed outings. A few former cricketers, including Venkatesh Prasad, have also questioned the team management for giving the batter a long rope despite his string of poor performances.
What went wrong with the promising superstar KL Rahul? 🤯
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The opening batter underperformed in both the first and second Tests of the ongoing series against Australia, mustering just 38 runs from three innings at an average of 12.66.
"Each player evaluates their performance" - Gautam Gambhir on KL Rahul
Citing Rohit Sharma's example, Gautam Gambhir stated that the batter struggled during the initial phase of his Test career. He highlighted that the current Indian skipper was able to turn things around later on.
The 41-year-old suggested that it wasn't the right approach to target KL Rahul in the middle of a crucial series. He claimed that every cricketer assesses his performance and is aware of how he has fared.
He elaborated:
"When Rohit Sharma started his career (he struggled) and now look at his performance. There is absolute change. In the middle of the series this should not be talked about. India are 2-0 up.
"Each player in the dressing room knows whether he is scoring or not. No media or ex-cricketer can tell players that your performance is not good. Each player evaluates their performance. He [KL Rahul] should be left alone because we all know the quality player he is."
Meanwhile, Rahul was removed as the vice-captain of India's Test team ahead of the third Test. It remains to be seen if the team management will persist with him for the remaining two fixtures or will turn to the in-form Shubman Gill.
India’s squad for 3rd & 4th Test vs Australia
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, S Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, R Jadeja, Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat
The third Test between India and Australia is set to kick off at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday, March 1.