edited by: Amrit Santlani
Last Update: February 27, 2023, 15:31 IST
KL Rahul is struggling for form (AP)
Sourav Ganguly talks at length about KL Rahul’s batting struggles and advises Shubman Gill to wait for his chance
KL Rahul’s struggles have been the only blip in the team’s otherwise dominant performance India In the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, which the Men in Blue have successfully retained after taking a 2-0 lead.
The Indian opener has struggled to score consistently and his performances have been questioned by former cricketers like Venkatesh Prasad, though Rahul has found some support. Gautam Gambhir And Harbhajan Singh urged patience.
Meanwhile, former India captain Sourav Ganguly became the latest stalwart to talk about Rahul’s poor form, and admitted that playing for the Indian team, once a player struggles to live up to the expectations, always The pressure remains.
When India’s squad for the remaining two Tests was announced, Rahul was retained in the team but dropped from the vice-captaincy.
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Speaking in an interview with PTI on the sidelines of Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2023 pre-season camp, Ganguly expected Rahul to bounce back from his recent slump.
“When you don’t score runs in India, of course you will be criticized. KL Rahul has not been alone. There have been players in the past as well,” Ganguly said.
“There is so much focus and attention with so much pressure on the players. The team management thinks that he is an important player for the team. At the end of the day, what the coach and captain think is important,” he said.
Ganguly further said that after playing some memorable innings in his career, there will always be added pressure on the player to perform well and score runs consistently.
“He has done well but obviously you expect a lot from a top-order batsman playing for India because the standards set by others are very high,” he added. When you fail for a while, of course there will be criticism. I am sure Rahul has the potential and I am sure he will find ways to score when he gets more chances.”
When asked about Shubman Gill, the talented youngster knocking at the door, and speculation about Rahul taking over the reins, Ganguly insisted that Gill should have the backing of skipper Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid. There is support, and they must be patient. His chances will come.
He said, ‘I am sure when his time comes, he will also get a lot of opportunities. I think the selectors, captain and coach think about him and rate him very highly. So he is playing ODIs and T20s and he has done well. But at the moment, perhaps the message from the team management is that they will have to wait.”
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