Why KL Rahul is not playing today

Team India have gone in without KL Rahul for the third Test against Australia at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, which got underway on Wednesday, March 1. The hosts have made two changes to their playing XI for the game. While Shubman Gill came in for Rahul, pacer Mohammed Shami has been rested, with Umesh Yadav coming into the playing XI instead of him.

Rahul has been dropped from the third Test after a string of low scores. Since his century against South Africa in Centurion in December 2021, the 30-year-old has registered only one half-century in red-ball cricket. He had a highest score of 23 from four innings while leading the team in Bangladesh in Rohit Sharma’s absence.

He was under a lot of pressure heading into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, the Indian team management backed him for the first two Tests. Rahul could not repay the faith and was dismissed for low scores of 20, 17 and 1.

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In contrast, Gill has been in exceptional touch in white-ball cricket and even scored his maiden Test ton during the tour of Bangladesh.

India’s playing XI for 3rd Test

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

What Rohit Sharma said about KL Rahul being stripped of vice-captaincy

In a significant development, Rahul was removed as vice-captain when the Indian team for the last two Tests of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy was announced by BCCI. The opener was picked as Rohit’s deputy after the latter was elevated to full-time captain.

Rahul’s removal as vice-captain was seen as a significant development in the wake of his poor batting form. However, at a press conference ahead of the third Test, Rohit downplayed the move. He explained:

"I spoke about it after the last game as well. Players who are going through a tough time, given their potential they will be given enough time to prove themselves."

He added:

"Being vice-captain or otherwise doesn't tell you anything. At that point in time he was the vice captain. His removal as vice-captain doesn't indicate anything."

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Having made his Test debut in the Boxing Day encounter in Melbourne in 2014, Rahul has played 47 Tests so far, scoring 2642 runs at an average of 33.44, with seven hundreds and 13 fifties.