Last Update: February 21, 2023, 10:12 IST
KL Rahul’s inclusion in the playing XI for the first two Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy became a matter of debate. The opening batsman made scores of 20, 17 and 1 in three innings, which drew heavy criticism from fans and experts. However, things seemed to change after the Delhi Test. On Sunday evening, the BCCI announced the squad for the final two Tests in which there was no ‘vice-captain’ against Rahul’s name.
It is being speculated that Rahul might be sacked as Rohit Sharma’s deputy after the poor knock, which also clears the way for Shubman Gill. as well as talking about India Today former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels Gill will open with skipper Rohit in the next match starting March 1 in Indore.
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“Well, I think so (if Rahul will be dropped), because when you are not the vice-captain, it becomes easier for the management and the selectors to sit you out. Once you become the vice-captain, it doesn’t matter how you perform, you are still in the playing XI. But now, there is no VC tag,” Harbhajan told India Today.
“With KL Rahul, you know he is a quality player who is going through a dry patch where he is not scoring runs. We all know that. But I am sure he will do well with the bat. But yes, there is no VC tag, which means we will see Shubman Gill opening with Rohit Sharma.
Since January 2022, Rahul has just one fifty-plus score, while his last Test century came against South Africa in December 2021. In the Delhi Test against Australia, Rahul was dismissed for 17 in the first innings and chased down a target of 115, scoring just one run after scoring a tough 20 in Nagpur.
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After the conclusion of the Delhi Test, India captain Rohit Sharma indicated that the team would stick with the right-handed opener, saying that if a player, be it him or anyone else, has the potential, the team has a Will get a long rope.
“Obviously, when you are playing on pitches like this, you need to find your way of scoring runs. We’re not going to look too much into what one person is doing; It is about how everyone needs to come together as this is an important series for us as well as a big one. So, that’s my view on KL,” said Rohit.
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