‘But now that vc tag…’ – Former India cricketer believes Shubman Gill will get go-ahead of KL Rahul in Indore Test
KL Rahul has become the talk of the town as he has not been scoring runs for India in an important series against Australia that will determine India’s faith in the Test Championship final. He scored 20 in Nagpur and then gave even more lukewarm performances in the second Test at Delhi where he scored 17 and 1 in two innings.
There have been allegations that Rahul might have been sacked from the post of vice-captain after not being able to score runs. When Harbhajan Singh spoke on the same on India Today the former off-spinner felt that the 30-year-old will go out of the side and Shubman Gill will come in his place for the Indore Test as the vice-captain’s tag has been removed for the Karnataka batter.
He is going through a dry patch of form -Harbhajan Singh on KL Rahul
“Well, I guess so (if Rahul would be dropped), because when you’re not the vice-captain, it becomes easier for the management and selectors to make you sit out. Once you’re a vice-captain, no matter what sort of performances you have given, you’re still featured in the playing XI. But now, that ‘VC’ tag is not there,” Harbhajan said on India Today.
“With KL Rahul, you know he’s a quality player who’s going through a dry patch where he is not scoring runs. We all know that. But I’m sure he will come good with the bat. But yes, the vc tag is not there, which means we will see Shubman Gill opening with Rohit Sharma,” the former India cricketer added. Gill recently scored his maiden Test hundred against Bangladesh.
Rahul’s overseas record has been under the scanner as well as he averages 30 in foreign conditions in 56 innings. Rahul played four Tests in 2022 and made 137 runs with a paltry average of 17.12 with just one half-century to his name. It looks like he has gone into a shell and his batting has dipped for India when he has donned the white flannels and also across formats.
