'I don't want BCCI coach, selector or IPL mentor role': Ex-India opener on Dravid, Rohit's backing of KL Rahul
Aakash Chopra, who indulged in a healthy Twitter debate with former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad over Rahul's position in the Indian Test XI, cited the latter's numbers in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia to support his case.
KL Rahul appears to be the most debated, talked-about, polarising cricketer currently in the Indian team. And this, despite India's demolishing wins over Australia in the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Generally, when an Indian team performs so well, the questions are fewer, the doubts about the playing XI are overlooked. But not this time. Such has been Rahul's run with the bat that it has been a near-impossible thing for most experts and fans to unsee. Calls to drop Rahul and play Shubman Gill, who has been in red-hot form in ODIs and T20Is, has gained momentum with each of the former's failures - the opener has managed to score 20, 17 and 1 - in the series so far.
The fact that Rahul averages 33.44 after 47 Tests has played its part. However, India head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma showed complete faith in Rahul. Dravid cited the right-hander's hundreds in South Africa and England, while Rohit talked about looking at the potential of the player rather than the scores. The selectors though appear to be on a different page. They have stripped Rahul of vice-captaincy for the remaining two Tests against Australia, clearing the deck for the 30-year-old to be dropped.
There are different opinions regarding KL Rahul among former cricketers too. While most believe the long rope given to Rahul has now reached its limit, a few like Aakash Chopra have inclined towards Dravid and Rohit in backing Rahul.
The former India opener, who indulged in a healthy Twitter debate with former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad over Rahul's position in the Indian Test XI, cited the latter's numbers in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia to support his case.
"Indian batters in SENA countries. Maybe, this is the reason selectors/coach/captain are backing KLR. He’s played 2 Tests at home (ongoing BGT) during this period," Chopra said with screenshots of Rahul's healthy average of 38.64 - the third-best among all Indian batters after Rohit Sharma and Washington Sundar (only 1 Test) - in SENA countries since 2020.
Chopra also highlighted that he doesn't want a "BCCI role" nor an "IPL team" job and his views are purely based on numbers. "No, I don’t need a BCCI role as a selector/coach. I don’t need any mentor, or coaching role at any IPL team either," he added. The latter half of his tweet appeared to be in connection to the trolling Venkatesh Prasad has been receiving for his repeated, hard-hitting and targeted threads against Rahul.
With centuries in Australia, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, and South Africa, Rahul has proved his ability at the highest level. No other Indian opener in recent times can boast of a similar record. But the question is how has he fared in the matches in between? Are centuries in different conditions enough to guarantee a longer rope than perhaps any other Indian player has received in recent memory? It appears so, at least if Dravid and Rohit's comments are concerned.
"It is not just about KL, but anyone. If you look at a couple of hundredshe got outside India (England and SA, both in 2021), one of the best I have seen from KL, especially the one at Lord's. We will back him (Rahul) as far as possible," Dravid told Star Sports after India's six-wicket win in Delhi.
"Batting on that damp pitch in England, (that too) after losing the toss and put in to bat is never easy. He (Rahul) put a great performance there and Centurion was another one. India won both those games. That is the potential he has," Rohit was all praise for his then vice-captain.
There is a long gap between the second and the third Test (in Indore). The Indian players have been given a five-day break. It will be interesting to see who walks out to open the batting with the captain on March 1.
