Xtra Time Web Desk: The star batter has so far invited a lot of criticism for his lack of intent in the first two matches of the on-going Asia Cup 2022. Rahul was also dismissed for a golden duck against Pakistan in India’s first match of the tournament and scored 36 runs off 39 balls opening the batting against Hong Kong. This kind of an approach is contrary to what the team is trying to achieve, which is to play fearless and aggressive cricket in T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia starting in October.
It is a bit baffling to see the approach of Rahul, who is a genuine stroke player and has all the ability to take the attack to the opponent. But due to some reason he does not look to be at his best, struggling to get going. The growing concerns is Rahul is unlikely to be dropped as he is the vice-captain of the side. The only option could be to demote his batting order.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed Rahul to open the batting, saying every cricketer needs to be given a longer rope. True, the Karnataka batter is coming back from a long injury lay off. But the problem is with the T20 World Cup starting next month, time is running away.
In the absence of Rahul, a number of players have been tried at the opening slot. Players like Deepak Hooda, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson has all opened the batting for India in T20 format in recent times.
Another factor that will see Rahul not only keep his place in the T20 side but also opening the batting with Rohit Sharma is the backing from Head Coach Rahul Dravid. The former India captain is a firm believer of not doing too many chopping and changing. He also has a soft corner for KL Rahul. So, it is very less likely that KL Rahul will be dropped after just 2 decent performances.
In the post-match press conference after the Hong Kong game, a Pakistan journalist asked Suryakumar Yadav whether he will open the innings with captain Rohit Sharma at some point as part of the various combinations and experiments that the team will engage in ahead of the T20 World Cup.
KL has been working very hard during the practice sessions and looked focussed. The other day during the optional practice session, he batted for a long time. Maybe he is not far away to regain his touch. The quicker KL Rahul gets back to form, the better it is for Team India.