T20 World Cup 2022: "India needed big scores from him against big teams, but he failed" - Monty Panesar on KL Rahul
Former England spinner Monty Panesar rued Indian opener KL Rahul's lack of runs against stronger opposition in the T20 World Cup 2022. Panesar also observed that India's over-reliance on Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav cost them the crown.
The Karnataka-born opener endured a disappointing run in the T20 World Cup. He managed only 128 runs in six matches at an average of 21.33 with two half-centuries.
The semi-final against England at the Adelaide Oval on November 10 saw the right-hander perish in the second over for a run-a-ball five. India were eliminated from the competition with a 10-wicket loss against England.
Speaking to the Times of India, Panesar noted that India were highly dependent on Kohli and Suryakumar for runs as the rest of the batters failed. He took a swipe at Rahul, stating that he only scored runs against the lower-ranked sides:
"Over-reliance on Virat and Suryakumar cost India the World Cup. India were heavily dependent on Virat and Surya. They have been in really good touch and scored heavily for India. But what about other batsmen? KL Rahul scored against small teams."
He added:
"India needed big scores from him against big teams, but he failed. India needed a solid foundation from their openers. Virat and Surya can't score in every match. Someone else needs to join them."
The Karnataka-born opener perished for single-figure scores in the first three matches of the competition. He then scored two consecutive fifties against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. However, he ended the tournament with another low score.
KL Rahul rested from the upcoming New Zealand tour
The selectors have rested the 30-year-old batter from India's forthcoming white-ball tour of New Zealand, starting on November 18. The Men in Blue will feature in three ODIs and as many T20Is against the Kiwis.
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Shikhar Dhawan is set to lead the side 💪🏻
Umran Malik has been added to the squad 🔥
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All-rounder Hardik Pandya will lead the T20 side, while opening batter Shikhar Dhawan will captain in the 50-over format. With the 50-over World Cup looming, India's senior players are likely to feature in more one-day games than T20Is.