Gautam Gambhir is extremely impressed with KL Rahul’s batting form in T20Is and wonders why he can’t convert the same form in Tests.
KL Rahul has scored 261 runs in the last 5 T20Is including the second T20I against Sri Lanka where he top-scored for India with 45 runs off 32 balls. He has been in scintillating touch in the shortest format of the game and looks set to become Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Gambhir said, “Rahul is in unbelievable form. It amazes me every time I see Rahul bat that why didn't he play the same way in Test cricket. It's not about only white-ball cricket; it is about Test cricket too. He just got into a shell too much. With the kind of quality he possesses, he is someone who can get you a 50-ball 100 in Test cricket as well. The kind of shots he has is superb.”
IND v SL 2020: KL Rahul talks about his opening partners Dhawan and Rohit
This question has troubled not only Gambhir but a lot of cricket fans and pundits over the world who have watched the classy KL Rahul bat. It may be his mental process that isn’t right during the Tests but it is a thought for another day.
His opening partner against Sri Lanka, Shikhar Dhawan, has made his comeback after suffering from a knee injury and failed to hit the ground running. Gambhir believes that the southpaw will be back in form soon and he might have been under a lot of pressure in his comeback game.
“Shikhar Dhawan looked rusty but it's a good thing that he got some runs under his belt. It will help him when he walks out to bat in the next game. Had he got out early, the pressure would have been more,” the 38-year-old retired cricketer said.
According to Gambhir, even if Dhawan gets back in form during the IPL, it should be Rahul opening the batting alongside Rohit Sharma in the World Cup as the Karnataka batsman has proved his game at the international level and that is more important than performing in the IPL.
“You can't compare IPL to international cricket. When you're playing for Delhi Capitals, you know there's no one waiting for the opportunity, but when you're playing for the country and you know there's someone who's actually can replace you, there'll always be pressure. And today it was shown who's in better form,” he said after India beat Sri Lanka.
(With inputs from IANS)
