KL Rahul has played 53 Tests so far, scoring 2,981 runs at an average of 33.87.
Sourav Ganguly, former India captain, has asked KL Rahul to spend time alone with himself to keep working on his game and gain his confidence back. This comes ahead of the first Test of the BGT 2024 series between Australia and India that will be played in Perth from November 22 onwards.
KL Rahul, along with Abhimanyu Easwaran, is one of the options for Team India in the opening slot, in case Rohit Sharma misses the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his second child.
However, his average in Australia is just 20.77 with 187 runs in 5 Tests, including a century. He was also replaced by Sarfaraz Khan in New Zealand Tests after a run of poor scores against Bangladesh and Khan replied with a scintillating century in Bengaluru Test.
KL Rahul has played 53 Tests so far, scoring 2,981 runs at an average of 33.87.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Rahul's release from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has put pressure on him, which is evident in his performances.
Ganguly has asked Rahul to keep innovating his game and not stick to his ways. The former India captain believes that Rahul needs to look at himself in the mirror and say to himself that 'he needs to play differently'.
"Yeah, confidence. He has to speak to himself. He has to speak to himself and say, just put everything behind him. Ups and downs are part and parcel of sports. Confidence will go up and down. You have to bring it back by working hard in the nets. I know he has gone through a lot. Lucknow Super Giants have released him. I do not know whether they will buy him back in the auction. I am sure he will find a good team and get his worth in the IPL. But these things put pressure on players," Ganguly told RevSportz.
"In and out of the team, he is seeing young players play well in T20s. You see what they have done in South Africa. He has to change and cannot keep playing the same way and expect to be picked all the time because somebody else will come and get picked," he added.
Sourav Ganguly also advised Rahul to sit with himself and decide how he wanted to continue his career. Rahul, according to the former India left-handed batter, has unlimited potential and must trust his instincts.
"So, I think he has got to sit with himself and get away from everything, all his friends and family, team and IPL owners, auctions and self-discovery. Look at the mirror and say, I need to play differently. I need to get tough inside and fight this period. He got a fantastic 100 in South Africa last time around. He can score hundreds in these conditions. But the mind has to believe that and the fight has to be there," said Ganguly.
He also backed KL Rahul to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal if Rohit Sharma misses the Perth Test and Dhruv Jurel will come into the playing XI after an impressive outing for India A.