'When you fail for a while, obviously there will be criticism' - Sourav Ganguly opens up on KL Rahul debate

Sourav Ganguly has joined the discussion regarding KL Rahul's place in the Indian team, which has been one of the most-talked topic among the cricketing fraternity lately. India have won the first two matches in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 with dominant performances from each department. But Rahul's poor performances caught the eyes of critics who are questioning the management to justify the player's inclusion in the Test team.

Rahul has managed to score just 38 runs from three innings against Australia and witnessed his batting average slipping down to 33.44 after 47 Tests. The former cricketer and national team selector Venkatesh Prasad has been vocal about Rahul's place in the team and he has now been joined by Ganguly. The former BCCI president said that the reason behind Rahul facing flak is his struggles to score runs in India.

"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. There's so much focus and attention with 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," Ganguly was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Perhaps the message from team management is that Shubman Gill has to wait: Sourav Ganguly

Rahul is included in the remaining two Tests against Australia but has been removed from vice-captaincy duties. This suggests that the management is likely to bench the player in the upcoming games. Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan are potential replacements of Rahul if he misses out.

But Ganguly believes that Rahul has an ability and will get more opportunities to prove his mettle. He also went on to add the youngster Gill will have to wait for his time to arrive.

"He has performed 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 ability and I am sure as and when he gets more opportunities, he will have to find ways to score.

"I am sure when his (Shubman Gill) time comes, he will also get a lot of opportunities. I think the selectors, the captain and the coach think of him and rate him very highly. That's why he is playing ODIs and T20Is, and he has performed as well. But at the present moment, perhaps message from team management is that he has to wait," Ganguly added.

With a 2-0 lead, the Indian team will host Australia in the third match starting on March 1 at Indore's Holkar Stadium. Indian team is likely to remain unchanged or drop Rahul for the upcoming Test, while the visiting side will be missing their captain Pat Cummins, who has returned home due to family commitments.