KL Rahul
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Records and statistics
As in 2023 February
From: Dwaipayan Datta, February 22, 2023: The Times of India
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KL Rahul in Test cricket, as in 2023 February
ODIs
As in 2023
From: [From the archives, Oct 10, 2023: The Times of India]
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KL Rahul in ODIs, As on Oct 9, 2023
T20s
2014-22
From: Partha Bhaduri, Nov 11, 2022: The Times of India
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KL Rahul's performances in ICC KNOCKOUT GAMES, 2014-2022 T20 WC
Bowling he is vulnerable to
2018
From: December 16, 2018: The Times of India
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The kind of bowling that Rahul was vulnerable to in 2018
A bad year
Shashank Shekhar, December 20, 2018: The Times of India
From: Shashank Shekhar, December 20, 2018: The Times of India
After the end of the second Test against West Indies in October 2018, Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, was asked about opener KL Rahul’s poor form, which showed no signs of improving. Basking in the glory of yet another slaughter-of-the-lambs kind of series win at home, Shastri, in his inimitable style, brushed the concern aside: “He will be all right. He is a class act... it’s just a matter of time.”
Sadly, Shastri’s optimism, borne more out of hope than cricketing logic, failed to stir Rahul out of the rut the talented stroke-maker has fallen into. Even before the Test series began in Australia, batting coach Sanjay Bangar had something alarming to say about Rahul after the batsman was dismissed cheaply, in a familiarly cavalier fashion, in the warm-up game. “Rahul is finding new ways to get out. We know his ability, we expect him to take responsibility and play his role for the team,” Bangar, usually very guarded with his words, said.
A freak injury to Prithvi Shaw meant Rahul got his chance to sing the redemption song in the first Two Tests but, not unexpectedly, was completely out of tune, leading to this observation by Sunil Gavaskar: “Rahul is just not there.”
One of Shastri’s primary traits as a coach is to back his players in a very vocal manner and bulldoze all criticism about the team. So, it was no surprise that he gave voluble support to the struggling player. It was clearly not enough. Australia was always going to be a grim test and Rahul doesn’t seem to have the tools to confront the challenge adequately right now.
Murali Vijay, a more conservative, defence-minded opener who was expected to weather the early storm and pave the way for Kohli and Co. to take the battle to the hosts, proved to be as much a disaster as Rahul. The situation was exacerbated by Shaw’s injury.
Did Team India look for other options to man the opening positions in the light of Vijay and Rahul’s sorry form over the last one year. Was there a Plan B in place? Mayank Agarwal has been sent as a possible replacement opener. It would have helped if he was part of the original squad. He would have had time to acclimatize to the conditions. And it would have certainly helped if he was blooded in the first Test itself.
Now, if he plays in Melbourne, with the teams tied 1-1 in a bruising series, it will be a pressure laden, severely demanding debut.
The team management has come under question over several selection calls it has taken since the away series against South Africa which began last December. The continued backing of Rahul has been one such call.
