KL Rahul’s Exclusion from the Upcoming Afghanistan T20i Series: Is it a Hint for Him?
KL Rahul has not been included in the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan, and his exclusion raises many questions. Is India going with only one wicketkeeper, and are they considering Jitesh Sharma this time, or Ishan Kishan? Since Ishan opted out of the South African tour, Jitesh Sharma utilized his place and, it’s fair to say, looks in good touch. He seems to have cemented his place in India’s T20I team, whether it’s in the Australia home series or in South Africa. His ability to target bowlers at №6 is helping the Indian team add bonus runs, especially in the last few overs.
KL Rahul’s T20 Record
Talking about KL Rahul, he had a decent tour as a batter in South Africa in the white-ball format. Although he was not part of the T20 team, he captained India in the ODI series, becoming the second captain after Virat Kohli to win an ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. He also made his 8th century in Centurion in the first Test. While he had a great World Cup as a batter and didn’t disappoint in the 50-over format or in Test matches, it’s interesting to see his performance in T20 cricket.
Looking at the current scenario and KL Rahul’s batting ability in the last two years, he seems solid at the №4 position in ODIs and Test matches. However, in T20I cricket, which he hasn’t played much after a hamstring injury in the IPL, there is uncertainty. He made a fantastic comeback in the Asia Cup, scoring a century against Pakistan, and since then, there has been no looking back for him in the Indian jersey. After the Asia Cup, India didn’t play much T20 cricket, with a 5-match series against Australia and 3 matches in South Africa. Surprisingly, there were no signs of a comeback for him in T20 cricket.
It appears that selectors are now looking forward to other options in T20I cricket. However, before making any confirmation, it’s crucial to understand that the IPL is coming up, a long two-month T20 league, and it’s likely that selectors have their eyes on every shortlisted player.