Despite India's yet another impressive win against Australia, by six wickets in the second Test match, which helped them retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with an unassailable 2-0 lead, there has been one factor about the team that has left veterans, experts and fans concerned. The rising criticism on KL Rahul's repeated failures and former cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Venkatesh Prasad blasting the India opener on his struggle while calling for a change in the plying XI has been the talk of Indian cricket. Amid the criticism, India captain Rohit Sharma broke his silence on Rahul's prolonged lean patch, admitting that there has been a lot of talk about it.
Rahul's scores in the three innings of the ongoing series reads 20, 17 and 1. Since 2018, averages only 26.36 in 47 innings since 2018 with three centuries and the numbers drop to as low as 17.40 an average in 10 innings since 2022, with one fifty-plus knock.
When asked about Rahul's form, Rohit explained that the opener needs to find his own methods of scoring runs on slow turners.
"When you are playing on pitches like these, you need to find your methods of scoring runs. Different individuals are part of this team and they will have different methods of scoring runs. We are not going to look too much into what one individual is doing. It is about how everyone needs to come together. It is a big series for us, so yeah that is my thought on KL," he said in the post-match press conference.
The string of low scores of a prolonged period adds more pressure on Rahul with an in-form Shubman Gill waiting in the wings. Rohit acknowledged that there has been talk around his current form, but reminded critics of his potential as well.
{{/usCountry}}The string of low scores of a prolonged period adds more pressure on Rahul with an in-form Shubman Gill waiting in the wings. Rohit acknowledged that there has been talk around his current form, but reminded critics of his potential as well.
{{/usCountry}}"Of late, there has been lot of talk on his batting. But for us as team management, we always look at the potential of any individual, not just KL. I have been asked in the past about lot of players. If a guy has potential, guys will get that extended run," Rohit said.
Like batting coach Vikram Rathour, Rohit too gave a reminder of Rahul's heroics in the Lord's Test match and the century in Centurion.
"It is not just about KL, but anyone. If you look at couple of hundreds, he got outside India (England 2021 and SA 2022), one of the best I have seen from KL, especially the one at the Lord's. Batting on that damp pitch in England, (that too) after losing the toss and put in to bat is never easy. He (Rahul) put a great performance there and Centurion was another one. India won both those games. That is the potential he has," Rohit said.