NEW DELHI: Team India batter KL Rahul has ignited speculation about his future in Test cricket following a gesture he made after India’s eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the first Test at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. With this loss, India now trail the three-match series 0-1.
In a video circulating on social media, Rahul was seen touching the pitch after the defeat, a gesture reminiscent of Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell moment during his final Test.This has led many to wonder if Rahul was signaling his possible exit from the Test side or contemplating retirement from the format.
Rahul’s recent form has been under the microscope, especially after his disappointing scores of 0 and 12 in the match against New Zealand. His second-innings failure was particularly crucial as it came after a promising partnership between Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant.
With Shubman Gill likely to return for the upcoming Test in Pune and Sarfaraz Khan’s impressive 150-run performance in Bengaluru, speculation is mounting that Rahul may be dropped for the critical match.
The viral clip of Rahul touching the pitch has further fueled these rumors, with some fans even suggesting the right-hander could be considering retirement from Test cricket.
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In his last five innings, Rahul has struggled to make a notable impact, with just one fifty during India’s recent series against Bangladesh.
Earlier this year, he scored a half-century against England and a century in South Africa.
However, his inconsistency has raised questions about his place in the Test squad, and the gesture in Bengaluru has only intensified the speculation surrounding his future in the format.