"Orange Cap bhi toh leni hai"- Top 10 funny memes as KL Rahul visits a temple in Ujjain ahead of Indore Test against Australia
Team India player KL Rahul and his wife Athiya Shetty recently took a spiritual trip, visiting the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain ahead of the third Test against Australia.
Some former Indian players have been criticizing and questioning Rahul's place in the Test playing XI due to his lean patch of form in the red-ball format over the past year.
The scrutiny over his form intensified after he failed to deliver with the bat in the first two Tests against Australia in the ongoing series.
Across his last six matches, Rahul has scored only 175 runs at a poor average of 15.90. With in-form batter Shubman Gill waiting on the bench, time might be running out for KL Rahul.
The BCCI also sacked him as the Test team's vice-captain while announcing the squad for the final two Test matches against Australia. Eyeing a strong comeback, KL Rahul visited the famous Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain along with his wife and indulged in puja rituals.
Indian cricket fans took note of Rahul's spiritual trip and shared their reactions with intriguing memes. Some pointed out that he was following in the footsteps of Virat Kohli, who has visited holy places a couple of times over the past year.
Here are some of the best memes on the matter:
KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty at the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple. https://t.co/KQ1q04nuYg
@CricCrazyJohns Rahul learning from the king to come back to form 👑👑 https://t.co/bkUmYBDLyi
@mufaddal_vohra The reason behind it https://t.co/j0j6HB65NH
@mufaddal_vohra Bhai apne Rahul ko bhi ye Formula sikha diya kya..? https://t.co/71MuCPAVrG
"The signal is very clear"- Saba Karim weighs in on selectors' decision of sacking KL Rahul as vice-captain
Former Indian selector and player Saba Karim reckoned that the removal of the vice-captaincy does not imply that KL Rahul will get dropped from the playing XI for the third Test against Australia.
He opined that Rahul's below-par returns with the bat were the reason behind the decision.
Speaking to India News Sports, Karim said:
"The signal is very clear that he [KL Rahul] has been removed from the vice-captaincy because his performances haven't been up to the mark. However, this doesn't mean that he won't find a place in the playing XI. It's just that you can only be the vice-captain if you perform well."
He further added:
"The advantage for Rahul is that India have been winning. Things would have been different had India been trailing 2-0. There wouldn't have been any hesitation in dropping Rahul from the team. Since India are ahead, and we know that these wickets are tough to bat on, I personally feel that he is still going to get a few more chances."
The 3rd Test between India and Australia will commence on March 1 in Indore. The hosts currently lead the four-match series by a 2-0 margin.