Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that KL Rahul’s place in India’s T20I team is under scrutiny, keeping in mind the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022, as the opener is struggling for runs since making his comeback last month after a long injury layoff.
He further said that if Rahul continues to struggle and fails to get going, then someone else will take his place, as Team India must want to take a player from Australia who is in great form for the T20 World Cup 2022.
Notably, Rahul hasn’t looked impressive on the Zimbabwe tour, and in the ongoing Asia Cup, the right-hander was dismissed for 0 against Pakistan and then could manage only 36 runs off 39 balls against Hong Kong at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
Given Rahul's struggles, the legendary batter suggested that the in-form batter Shubman Gill could be a great replacement for Rahul for the T20 World Cup 2022, which begins on October 16 in Australia.
Sunil Gavaskar said on Sports Tak: “See, Shubman Gill has batted so brilliantly in Zimbabwe and West Indies so there definitely is a stiff fight for the opening slot, the fight is tough. So if you aren't scoring runs and are not in form then it's concerning. It's a matter of the World Cup, where you should only take players who are in form.”
He signed off by saying, “There is no scope of taking a chance with someone there, hoping that after 2-3 matches, a player will return to form. No. Because all World Cup matches are tough. Rahul has a few matches left and he will have to score runs otherwise, the selection committee will think about what to do next.”
