KL Rahul's Inclusion Shakes Belief in Justice: Venkatesh Prasad Says Gill, Dhawan and Sarfaraz are IGNORED Deliberately

Zee News

India's opening batsman KL Rahul is going through a rough patch in Test cricket as he yet again failed to score big in ongoing India vs Australia  2nd Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. India's opening batsman scored just 17 runs in 41 balls. Many cricket experts believe that inform batsman Shubman Gill should or Mayank Agarwal should open India's batting with captain Rohit Sharma, however, the Indian team mangement is giving the opportunity to KL Rahul. Former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad is not happy with the decision of team mangement as posted this on his Twitter.

And the torrid run continues. More to do with rigidity of the management to persist with a player who just hasn't looked the part. No top order batsman in atleast last 20 years of Indian cricket has played these many tests with such a low average. His inclusion is _. https://t.co/WLe720nYNJ — Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) February 18, 2023

"And the torrid run continues. More to do with the rigidity of the management to persist with a player who just hasn’t looked the part. No top-order batsman in at least the last 20 years of Indian cricket has played these many tests with such a low average. His inclusion is deliberately denying talented guys, in form guys an opportunity to be in the 11. Shikhar had a test avg of 40+ , Mayank has of 41+ with 2 double hundreds, Shubhman Gill in sublime form, Sarfaraz never ending wait.. Many domestic performances constantly ignored.His inclusion shakes belief in Justice," Venkatesh Prasad wrote on Twitter.  

KL Rahul's Test cricket statistics have been a mixed bag. While he has shown glimpses of his talent and potential, he has also struggled for consistency at times. Since his debut in 2014, Rahul has played 47 Test matches for India, scoring 2641 runs at an average of 33.85. He has scored seven centuries and 13 fifties in his Test career, with a highest score of 199. However, his recent form in Test cricket has been a cause of concern for Indian cricket fans, with his average dropping to 17.4 in Tests since 2022 - the lowest among Indian batters batting from 1 to 7 with a minimum of 100 runs scored.

"SS Das had great potential,so did S Ramesh,both avgd 38+but did not get beyond 23 test matches. Rahul’s consistent inclusion gives an impression of lack of batting talent in India which isn’t true. Last 5 years his avg is below 27 in 47 inn. As per me ,he is currently not amongst the current 10 best opener’s in India but is being given endless chances. Guys like Kuldeep Yadav put in man of the match performances and next game are dropped with theories like Horses for courses. In any course ,KL is not a horse. Sad.," Prasad wrote.

Earlier Prasad took to Twitter to criticise Team India's decision to continue with KL Rahul as opener, "I have a lot of regard for KL Rahul’s talent and ability, but sadly his performances have been well below par. A test average of 34 after 46 tests and more than 8 years in international cricket is ordinary. Can’t think of many who have been given so many chances. Especially..cont," Former India bowler wrote.

KL Rahul's position in the Indian cricket team is in doubt following his low score in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Nathan Lyon dismissed him LBW for 17 on Day 2 of the Delhi Test after Rahul failed to cope with a delivery that drifted and turned from around the wicket. Since 2022, Rahul has averaged only 17.4 in Tests, which is the lowest by any Indian batter batting from 1 to 7 with a minimum of 100 runs scored. He also has the second-lowest average by any opening batter in Tests since 2022. Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that Rahul has a mental block and struggles to decide whether to go forward or back, with his front foot planted across, leaving him with no choice but to play with an angled bat. Mark Waugh believes that Rahul is fearful of getting out, restricting him from playing freely. Sanjay Manjrekar has advised Rahul to bat proactively and freely, like Virat Kohli, from the start of his innings.