KL Rahul removed from India vice-captaincy post for remainder of Border-Gavaskar Trophy after batting slump in Tests
Even though KL Rahul received the backing of skipper Rohit Sharma after his batting no-show in the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2023, the star opener is unlikely to remain the deputy of the Team India captain in the longest and oldest format of the game.
Embracing a lean patch after returning to the Test side, Rahul showcased another batting failure in the recently concluded encounter between India and Australia on Sunday.
Opener Rahul, who scored 17 off 41 balls in the 1st innings of the 2nd Test, perished for a forgetful individual score in India’s second essay at the Arun Jaitely Stadium. The Indian opener was dismissed for 1 off 3 balls although Rohit’s Team India sealed a comfortable win over Australia in the 2nd Test at Delhi. Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja triggered a batting collapse of the visitors as India hammered Australia by 6 wickets to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
With the win, India have also retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the fourth successive time. After India’s famous win over Australia in the 2nd Test, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian squad for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 on Sunday.
Though Rahul managed to retain his place in the squad, the out-of-form batter was not named as India’s vice-captain for the 3rd and 4th Test matches against Australia. Rahul was Rohit’s deputy when India announced its star-studded squad for the first two games of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While announcing the squad for the remaining two matches on Sunday, a vice-captain has not been appointed by the selection committee.
Rahul’s form has been under the scanner in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship. Averaging only 13, Indian opener Rahul has scored 117 runs in his last five Test matches. The star batter has failed to go past the score of 23 in his last 10 Test innings. However, Indian skipper Rohit has come out in the support of Rahul amid his recent Test batting slump.
“It is not just about KL but anyone. It was clear from our side that we want him to go out and play his game. We are not going to look too much into what one individual is doing, it is about how everyone needs to come together,” Rohit told reporters. Rahul has amassed 2642 runs in 47 Test matches for India.