Former Indian cricketer Venkatapathy Raju support for the struggling star came out KL Rahuldespite a poor performance in the opening Test of the ongoing three-match Test, he urged the team management to give him another chance. series Against New Zealand.
After posting disappointing scores of 0 and 12 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, KL Rahul later faced heavy criticism for his lackluster display. Team India‘s eight-wicket loss against New Zealand. Now his place in India’s playing XI is under intense scrutiny.
Venkatapathy Raju backs KL Rahul for Pune Test despite a flop show in Bengaluru
However, Venkatapati Raju feels that KL Rahul’s vast experience should earn him the No.11 slot for the second Test against India. New ZealandStarting on October 24 at the MCA Stadium in Pune, he stressed the importance of maintaining stability in the team.
Since 2022, the 32-year-old right-hander has faced a significant dip in form, amassing just 514 runs at an average of 25.7 in 12 Tests, with just one century and three fifties to his name. In all, the Karnakata batsman scored 2,981 runs in 53 matches at an average of 33.87.
He has smashed eight centuries and 15 half-centuries in his Test career so far. Meanwhile, Venkatapathy Raju firmly believes that it is unwarranted to bench Rahul after just one poor outing. He argued that the Indian cricket team needs experienced players, especially considering the challenges ahead, including the five-match Test series in Australia.
The former cricketer is confident of Rahul’s ability to make a strong comeback as the Indian cricket team aims to level the ongoing three-match Test series against New Zealand in the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.
I don’t think we should deal with the playing XI: Venkatapathy Raju
He highlighted that India are currently at the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 table, which will give the team confidence to regroup and perform better in the upcoming Pune Test against New Zealand.
The Times of India quoted Venkatapati Raju as saying: “I think we have to go with the 11th player. If I were the captain, I would go with the same side. You need experienced hands on your team. You cannot replace KL Rahul after just one test match. He is an experienced batsman and should make the next Test.
No need to panic. India still tops the WTC rankings. Rohit is a positive captain. He has a positive attitude and he knows that what’s done is done and now it’s time to level up. I’m sure he will.”
Venkatapathy Raju is backing his bounce back strongly with support from KL Rahul
With Rohit Sharma at the helm, Raju said he believes in the captain’s positive mindset and urged the hosts to play Rahul in the second Test against New Zealand. Amid calls to drop Rahul, Raju said the panic was unnecessary.
Raju signed off by saying: “India should think about these five Tests in Australia and not panic. Let’s play KL Rahul in the second Test and give him a chance. It will bounce back. He has experience. India just need to pull their socks up. That’s it.”
