Twitter in disbelief as Virat Kohli axes KL Rahul for the decider

The third and final One-Day International between India and England is all set to get underway at Headingley in Leeds. The hosts have won the toss and opted to bowl first as James Vince replaced Jason Roy who got injured in the last game. However, many were in shock as KL Rahul was dropped for the decider from the Indian team as the visitors included Dinesh Karthik to bat at number 4.

Rahul was the star player for the Men in Blue in the first T20I as he began his England tour with a scintillating ton. He scored an unbeaten knock of 101 runs off 54 deliveries while chasing the total of runs at the Old Trafford. He was so sublime in his approach and had justified his selection for the tour. Moreover, he was going through a purple patch with the bat and was making most of it.

Twitter unhappy

Unfortunately, KL Rahul couldn’t continue in the same vein in the next games and has not contributed much with the bat. As far as the ODI series is concerned, he didn’t get much time to bat at the Trent Bridge and shelved the opportunity to get his team over the line in the second match by bagging a duck.

Team India is struggling to find a proper number 4 batsman ahead of the World Cup and the team management decided to give an opportunity to Karthik in the decider which Virat Kohli termed as the ‘tactical decision’ at the toss. Rahul should’ve got one more chance to prove himself in the middle-order but with the series at stake, the visitors might have axed him.

Twitterati was not pleased at all with him being benched and lashed out at the captain Kohli. They felt bad for the in-form Rahul and termed him ‘unlucky’ to be left out in the crunch game.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to his axing:

KL Rahul dropped but Raina gets a free pass because he bowls a couple of overs. Shocking captaincy.

— Kieran (@BerbaSpin) July 17, 2018

Kohli is mentally sick to drop KL Rahul from team

— Gypsy (@gypsy2050) July 17, 2018

#ENGvIND #CBHaveYourSay Indian team management is wasting a talent like Kl Rahul in ODIs just like they did with Rahane..Just hope his career doesn't go wayward like Jinx because of this musical chair game @_rrroy_

— Sunny Deol Army (@ActionKingAgain) July 17, 2018

Why indian team management defending suresh raina so much….today KL Rahul is out of team instead of raina….very bed decision…#ENGvIND

— रोहित-Rohit (@ohitre) July 17, 2018

Kl rahul drop 😠😠😠 atlist raina ko drop karna chahiye tha

— sameer sam (@8Dat55CkS9J6hPE) July 17, 2018

Removing KL Rahul and retaining Dhoni..

Special kind of MC this @imVkohli is 😀 https://t.co/Ofhgvcc1hf

— YennnnnnAaaaaaaar (@NrOpines) July 17, 2018

Dropping KL Rahul and retaining Raina is a weird call but Rahul has himself to blame for his poor consistency. Raina just lucky., #ENGvIND

— Harsha (@Hramblings) July 17, 2018

So DK gets a game! Well deserved. Hard on KL Rahul though. Just got a couple of games at 4.#ENGvIND

— Sahil D Jain (@sahildj96) July 17, 2018

KL Rahul out. Kartik in.
The guy's centurion few days ago got benched.
But the guy who's been out of form since ages still hogging his place.
Axe him already @imVkohli

— mangesh (@baburao_) July 17, 2018

Dinesh Karthik at No. 4. KL Rahul gets the cull. Raina stays. Indian cricket’s revelling in yo-yo tests and the game of musical chairs. #ENGvIND

— Shamik Chakrabarty (@shamik100) July 17, 2018

KL Rahul sitting out and Raina still in playing XI? Thoughts? I think Karthik should play but in place of Raina.

— Anuj Khurana (@HaddHaiYaar) July 17, 2018

Where is KL Rahul? By not giving him enough chances we are wasting a talent like him. #ENGvIND

— Kushal Gautam (@iTsKVG19) July 17, 2018

Is it fair to drop Kl rahul after just one bad game… No.. Not at all

— Hemanth Kumar (@Hemanth99633372) July 17, 2018

India doesn't deserve KL Rahul ,and I mean it .#ENGvIND

— Swapnil Shanbhag (@swapniltalks) July 17, 2018

Why indian team management defending suresh raina so much….today KL Rahul is out of team instead of raina….very bed decision…#ENGvIND

— रोहित-Rohit (@ohitre) July 17, 2018

DK should have replaced Raina not KL rahul

— Attapur_Baba_2.0 (@SunnyVar1) July 17, 2018

Wt about kl Rahul…one match is enough ??? Every match Kohli making centuries kyaa ???

— sharath yadav y (@ysy162) July 17, 2018

India deserve a L. They dropped KL rahul(Their Only all format and all condition batsmen)

— Raja (@RajaP97) July 17, 2018

KL Rahul dropped and Raina isn't. So nice of you @BCCI #Clowns #ENGvIND

— Vinodh (@BoredCricketFan) July 17, 2018

KL Rahul dropped 'tactically' after one ODI failure. Karthik deserves his opportunity but… Sigh.

Bhuvi and Shardul back for Kaul and Umesh.

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) July 17, 2018

Suresh Raina has got a huge tick of confidence that KL Rahul has been axed for Dinesh Karthik.#ENGvIND

— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) July 17, 2018

No KL Rahul 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

— ѕтяιкєя вσу 🕶 (@vasanthvilliers) July 17, 2018

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