Ideally India should have given KL Rahul another game: Gautam Gambhir

In the last T20 International against England, Team India registered a stunning victory by 36 runs to win the five-match series by 3-2. Going into the fifth T20I, India made a tough call as they dropped an out-of-form KL Rahul to bring in the sixth bowler in the form of T Natarajan. Also, Virat Kohli promoted himself up the order and opened the match alongside Rohit Sharma.

The decisions by Virat Kohli proved to be a masterstroke for the team as both Virat and Rohit scored half-centuries to give India a dream start. While Rohit departed after scoring 64, Kohli remained not-out to help India reach a mammoth total of 224 in 20 overs. The sixth bowling option also proved to be beneficial as it helped the host team in successfully defending the target and emerging victorious.

India’s veteran opening batsman Gautam Gambhir wasn’t happy with KL Rahul’s exclusion from the side as he believes that the only way for the batsman to find his form again with the willow is to get chances in the playing XI and play. In the four T20Is that Rahul played against England in the series, he returned with scores of 1, 0, 0, and 14.

Gautam Gambhir has his say on KL Rahul’s axing

Gambhir believes that Rahul should get a chance to play in all the three One Day Internationals against the same opponents as that will give him confidence to perform and he will be able to regain his lost form. However, the cricketer also lauded team India for their decision of going with 6 bowlers. 

“Dropping anyone will not do them any favor. He (Rahul) will have to play three ODIs. Someone is out of form, the only way you can bring them back is by giving them more opportunities. Because when you are sitting on the bench, it is not a good feeling. Because you know you have been dropped, and that feeling is not the best feeling,” Gambhir said on ESPNCricinfo.

“India went with six bowlers, I completely agree with that. Because India was always one bowler short. And the only way that could have been done was by dropping KL Rahul and picking a bowler. And that’s what they have done. But ideally, they should have given him another game. But they could not have fit him with six bowlers, had KL Rahul played this game,” he signed off.