IND vs AUS: Sourav Ganguly gives his verdict after KL Rahul stripped of vice-captaincy

Team India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing 4-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the first two matches in Nagpur and Delhi, respectively. Despite the spectacular performance, the major talking point amongst the fans has been the poor form of Indian opener KL Rahul.

Notably, Rahul has barely crossed 17 in his last 10 innings, while his career average has fallen to 35 in 47 matches. In this series, the right-handed batter has scored just 38 runs so far. No wonder Rahul was also stripped of his vice-captaincy post for the last two Tests against Australia owing to his prolonged lean patch.

Amid Rahul’s criticism from all corners, former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has given his blunt verdict. The ex-India skipper reckoned that when an Indian batter fails to score runs at home, it becomes quite difficult to avoid scathing criticism, given the massive expectations of fans.

“When you don’t score runs in India, obviously, you will get flak. KL Rahul hasn’t been the only one. There have been players in the past also,” Ganguly told PTI ahead of Delhi Capitals’ IPL pre-season camp.

Rahul’s last half-century in the longest format came in Johannesburg in January 2022 during the India tour. Interestingly, in the same series, the Karnataka batter also scored his last Test hundred. Ganguly observed that Rahul has all the abilities to make a comeback and will get more opportunities to score runs. Ganguly reckoned that it’s completely up to the captain and coach if they want to continue with a certain player.

“He has performed [over the years], but obviously, you expect a lot more from a top-order batter playing for India because the standards set by others are so high. When you fail for a while, obviously, there will be criticism. I am sure Rahul has the ability, and I am sure as and when he gets more opportunities, he will have to find ways to score. There’s so much focus and attention with a lot of pressure on players. The team management thinks he is an important player for the team. At the end of the day, what coach and captain thinks is important,” added Ganguly.