Amidst growing calls for his removal from the Indian Test team, KL Rahul has received a strong vote of confidence from head coach Gautam Gambhir. Following Rahul’s underwhelming performance in the first Test against New Zealand, where he scored just 12 runs across both innings, social media and some experts have questioned his place in the national side.
However, Gambhir remains unfazed by the external noise, stating, “First of all, social media does not matter one bit. You don’t pick players on social media or because of social media, or for that matter even what the experts are saying. What the team management thinks and what the leadership group thinks is very, very important.”
While Rahul’s recent form has been inconsistent, he did showcase resilience with a gritty 68 in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. Despite failing to capitalize on his home ground advantage in the previous series, Gambhir believes that Rahul is still capable of delivering big runs.
“Ultimately, everyone is judged. International cricket is all about being judged, to be honest, because everyone’s performance will be judged eventually. I feel that he is batting really well. Obviously, he has had a decent knock in Kanpur, on a difficult wicket, and played according to the plans as well,” Gambhir explained.
Rahul’s recent struggles extend back to the Duleep Trophy, where his performance drew criticism for failing to take advantage of key opportunities. However, his gritty 57-run knock in the second innings, while facing a batting collapse, showcased his ability to anchor the innings under pressure.
Since making his Test debut in December 2014, Rahul has played 53 matches, accumulating 2981 runs at an average of 33.87. Despite having batted in four different positions throughout his career, he has struggled to find consistent dominance. As an opener, he has scored 2551 runs in 75 innings, averaging 34.94 with seven centuries and twelve fifties.
“I am sure, he would also be knowing that he wants to score big runs and he has that capability of scoring runs, and that’s why he’s been backed by the team management,” Gambhir asserted.
Rahul’s most recent highlight came in December last year when he scored a century against South Africa in Centurion, becoming the only visiting batsman to achieve this feat twice at the venue. Unfortunately, an injury sidelined him during the home series against England earlier this year. Now, as he returns to the fold, Rahul’s focus will be on regaining his rhythm and delivering consistent performances to justify the team management’s continued faith in him.