Team India's star batter KL Rahul is going through a rough patch with the bat over the past few months. Rahul had a forgettable outing in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, and following indifferent performances across formats ever since, Rahul was removed as vice-captain in the Indian team for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. In addition, the Team India opener isn't a part of the side for the Sri Lanka T20Is as well.
In the recently-concluded Test series against Bangladesh, Rahul faced further scrutiny after he registered scores of 22, 23, 10, and 2 across four innings. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who worked alongside Rahul as Lucknow Super Giants' mentor in the 2022 Indian Premier League, spoke in detail about the 30-year-old batter's struggles with the bat.
Gambhir, who is known for his straightforward remarks, didn't mince his words as he acknowledged Rahul's struggles and provided a rather blunt advice to the opener, who also captains LSG in the IPL.
“You can only control what you can control. You can't control selectors, you can't control what's going to happen in the next series. You got three ODIs against Sri Lanka. If you play that, just be in the present. That's all you can control. The moment you start to think about uncontrollable things, you're putting undue pressure on yourself,” Gambhir said in Star Sports' A Chat with Champions.
{{/usCountry}}“You can only control what you can control. You can't control selectors, you can't control what's going to happen in the next series. You got three ODIs against Sri Lanka. If you play that, just be in the present. That's all you can control. The moment you start to think about uncontrollable things, you're putting undue pressure on yourself,” Gambhir said in Star Sports' A Chat with Champions.
{{/usCountry}}The former India cricketer further stated that no player is “indispensable” and that Rahul would need runs under his belt to retain his spot in the XI.
“If you don't perform, someone else will take your position. That's not only with Sanju or KL, it's with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as well. If they don't perform, you will start questioning about their positions too. That's what international cricket is about. No one is indispensable. So you got three ODIs, you bat in the middle-order, try and get those runs, because ultimately it's the performance that keeps you in the side. Not the name, not your talent,” Gambhir said.