「ねえ、ガンビル、あなたがしていることは正しくない」 – 6番のKLラーフルは強い批判を引き起こす

This IND vs ENG series has thrown in a few surprises already. Firstly, Rishabh Pant has been constantly ignored, and then KL Rahul, India’s main keeper in the XI, has been demoted in the batting order, and Axar Patel has been batting above him. Now, Rahul has been batting at No. 6, rather than his usual No. 5 position, and that has not gone down well with former India selector K Srikkanth.

Axar Patel replaces KL Rahul at No. 5

All this, despite him having a stellar record in ODIs. In 79 matches, he has scored 2863 runs at an average of 47. “Shreyas Iyer is in good form, which is a positive for India. But I feel for KL Rahul, it’s very unfortunate. Yes, Axar Patel is scoring 30s and 40s, but what they are doing with KL Rahul is not fair. Look at his record, he has excelled at No. 5, with a brilliant record. I don’t know what the team management is thinking regarding his position. If he bats at No. 6 or 7, he ends up scoring 6 or 7. It’s unfair,” Srikkanth said.

He called out chief India coach Gautam Gambhir, for making this change. All this, despite Axar Patel churning out decent performances so far. “Hey, Gambhir, what you are doing is not right. Yes, depending on the situation, India can send Axar at No. 5, but it cannot be a consistent strategy.

Srikkanth lambasts Gautam Gambhir

“If you keep making such changes, you know what will happen — there will be a crucial match where everything falls apart. That’s what worries me. You can’t justify it by talking about the left-right combination. Does that mean you don’t care about a left-right combination in the top four? Why does it only matter at No. 5?” Srikkanth added.

“I have no issue with Axar Patel—he is making the most of his chances. But if you’re pushing Rahul down the order, then play Rishabh Pant at No. 6. Why undermine Rahul’s confidence? Is it fair to a player who has performed brilliantly in world cricket?” he said.