Ramiz Raja also talked about Virat Kohli's dwindling numbers in Tests.
Former Pakistan captain and PCB chief Ramiz Raja has backed under-fire India batter KL Rahul to come good when India tours Australia for the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
KL Rahul's dismal form has sparked heated debate about his status in the Indian side, but the BCCI and its selection committee maintained to belief in Rahul's ability as a batsman by including him in the squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia.
After making a duck and 12 runs in two innings in the first Test against New Zealand, a fit Shubman Gill replaced Rahul in India's starting eleven for the Pune Test.
Ramiz Raja's newest video on his YouTube channel, where he was performing a Q&A session with the fans, brought up the argument about KL Rahul's spot, and an Indian fan asked the former Pakistan captain how he sees the issue, and if it was comparable to what’s happening with Babar Azam.
Babar, after being dropped from the Test squad, has been included in Pakistan's white-ball tour of Australia.
"Har koi MS Dhoni nahi ban sakta. Unko upar wale ke inayat thi (Dhoni was blessed). He had clarity and a strong temperament. The example that you have given, I think there will be one or two players like that in the world,” Raja said on his YouTube channel, citing Dhoni used to perform in crunch games and lead Indian victories.
Raja even pointed fingers at Virat Kohli, who has been a shell of his former self in Tests in the last 2-3 years.
"Virat Kohli ka graph neeche ja raha hai, unhone ne bhi score nahi kiya hai (Kohli's graph is going down, he too hasn't scored much lately), but he is a big-match player, so nobody has a problem," said Ramiz.
The former Pakistan captain felt similarly for Rahul, which is why, he says, the Indian board is "persisting with him".
"KL Rahul has immense potential. But shayad freeze ho jate hain, par jab khelte hain to khoob khelte hain. Isme koi shaq nahi hai ke technically bahut bade player hain (he gets frozen at times but plays brilliantly when he does; there is no doubt that technically he is a big player).
That's why India is persisting with him because they know ke jab yeh khelenge to agle pichhle saare gile shikve nikal denge (when Rahul performs, he will make amends). I think he is just one or two innings away (from striking form). When you perform well in a big match, then you become big-hearted, then you are out of your bad-recall moments and you start recalling all the good moments. Similarly, I feel Babar Azam is an innings away from cracking it," Ramiz concluded his reply.