Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly opened up on wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul’s recent poor performance and said that the 32-year-old needs to talk to himself to gain confidence.
KL Rahul showed a glimpse of returning to his purple patch after hammering 68 in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh. The New Zealand series presented a perfect opportunity for him to grow more in confidence. But 12 runs across both innings in the opening Test led to him being sidelined from the playing XI for the remaining two games against the Kiwis.
Ganguly said that ups and downs are part and parcel of the sports. He added that Rahul is under a lot of pressure since Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) released him ahead of the 2025 mega auction of the cash-rich tournament.
“He has to speak to himself. He has to speak to himself and say, just put everything behind. Ups and downs are part and parcel of sports. Confidence will go up and down. You have to bring it back by working hard in the nets. I know he has gone through a lot. Lucknow Super Giants have released him. I do not know whether they will buy him back in the auction. I am sure he will find a good team and get his worth in the IPL. But these things put pressure on players,” Ganguly said while speaking to Revsportz.
Meanwhile, according to reports, KL Rahul suffered a blow on his elbow on Friday during India’s match simulation at the WACA Ground ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The right-hand batter left the field after he was stuck on his elbow. This is a huge blow for the team as he was considered a possible replacement for Rohit Sharma in the opening slot for the series.
The former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president agreed when he was asked if Rahul should open for India in the Pert Test if skipper Rohit Sharma does not make it. He further added that youngster Dhruv Jurel should come in the middle.
“I think so and play Dhruv Jurel in the middle,” Ganguly added.
KL Rahul made his Test debut in 2014 against Australia. Following that, he has played 53 long-format matches and scored 2981 runs at a strike rate of 53.07. Against Australia, the 32-year-old played 11 Test matches and scored 618 runs at a strike rate of 50.24.
The much anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.
The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium’s lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18.
The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test, to take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (Wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant (Wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
