"You allow proven performers just a little bit of leeway" - Sunil Gavaskar on why KL Rahul enjoys the backing of Indian captains
Sunil Gavaskar believes KL Rahul has been included in India's 2023 World Cup squad as soon as he recovered from injury because he is a proven performer.
Rahul, who underwent surgery for a thigh injury sustained during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, hasn't played any competitive cricket in the last few months. He missed the Men in Blue's first two games of the ongoing Asia Cup due to a niggle but has been picked in the provisional squad for the global event.
During an interaction with India Today, Gavaskar was asked why Indian captains, Rohit Sharma currently and Virat Kohli in the past, have shown faith in Rahul and backed him, to which he responded:
"He is a proven performer with the bat and I think you allow proven performers just a little bit of leeway. That's exactly what has happened in this instance. Yes, it can be a bit worrying that he hasn't played any cricket."
The former Indian skipper feels Rohit and Co. have enough games in hand to gauge the wicketkeeper-batter's fitness. He elaborated:
"However, he joins the team in Sri Lanka now. So he will get to play a few matches and there you will see his fitness. There are three ODI games against Australia in the third week of September. So that is again a series where you can see how his fitness is."
Gavaskar added that India have the option of replacing Rahul in the squad if he is unable to prove his fitness. The selectors need to name the final squad by September 28, after which they would need approval from the ICC's technical committee to make any changes.
"It could be a fight between Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar was further asked if he would make Ishan Kishan sit out and allow KL Rahul to play just to assess him, to which he replied:
"It could be a fight between Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul for the No. 4 position while Ishan Kishan, with the kind of form he has shown, stays in the team. He could stay in the team as a batter and Rahul can keep wickets."
While observing that both Kishan and Rahul can be a part of the XI, with Shreyas Iyer being made to sit out, the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that it might be a prudent call if the former keeps wickets in such a scenario. He reasoned:
"However, if both Rahul and Ishan Kishan play, then it might actually be a good idea to have Ishan Kishan keep wickets because if Rahul has undergone some injuries with the leg, getting up and down might just be a little bit of an issue. It just makes good cricketing sense to have Ishan Kishan keep wickets."
The Indian think tank will have a tough call to choose two among Rahul, Shreyas, and Kishan if all three are fit and available. Only time will tell if the Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter is drafted straightaway into the XI for the Asia Cup Super Four clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, September 10.