It is a disgrace KL Rahul hasn't been given a continuous run at number 4 since 2015-16

[Gollum]

Who the * have been playing at #4 for India post 2015 WC? Raina, UV, Dhoni, Rayudu, Rahane, Pandey etc. Meanwhile KLR has played total 13 ODIs and never once has he been given a continuous run of over 3 matches. Selectors often picked him in the squad and Kohli kept him in the bench with the excuse that the TM was looking at him as 3rd opener and not as a middle order batsman. I mean WTF !!!! Is there an unwritten rule that an opener can't adjust in the middle (top) order in another format?

 

Rahul was in terrific form till mid 2017, they should have capitalized on that and given him a continuous run of at least 20-30 ODIs. He wouldn't have become a Kohli but far better than Biryani for sure. With him being given a continuous run in all formats maybe he wouldn't have lost his way in red ball cricket either. He needed backing of the captain and coach, not humiliation...everyone responds differently to external stimuli and maybe Rahul lost self-confidence because of lack of trust in him. We have potentially lost a dynamic enforcer in our quest for passive mediocrity. 

 

I stand by what I said a year ago irrespective of the tun of events since then, Rahul is one of the greatest talents we have ever produced and his peak is as good as that of legends of this sport. Also he has been treated shabbily...Sachin, Dravid, Kohli, Dhoni, Rohit, Ganguly all were given continuous runs when they struggled initially. Pataudi was of the belief that a batsman needs 10 continuous innings to prove his worth before he can be discarded. He was talking about test cricket and had GR Vishy in mind but same applies to KLR....13 ODIs, never once a continuous run of 4 innings, are you *ing kidding me !!!!

Edited March 5, 2019 by Gollum

[R!TTER]

5 minutes ago, Gollum said:

never once a continuous run of 4 innings

Why is this a surprise? KL haters know this & don't care, apparently everything's good till we are winning & then CT 2017 final happens! But personally I'd prefer him in the top 2 or 3, he has better defense than Sharma or Dhawan that's why ideally he should open.

Edited March 5, 2019 by R!TTER

[VT87]

It's baffled  me ,they pick biryani  over klrahul 

[ShoonyaSifar]

He should be opening. Dhawan has totally lost form now, 2 50s in last 15 matches, but we keep picking him match after match while others are not as lucky.

 

With the Rayudus we always knew what to expect. He'll bottle it in the big stage.

[Gollum]

13 minutes ago, R!TTER said:

Why is this a surprise? KL haters know this & don't care, apparently everything's good till we are winning & then CT 2017 final happens! But personally I'd prefer him in the top 2 or 3, he has better defense than Sharma or Dhawan that's why ideally he should open.

 

12 minutes ago, VT87 said:

It's baffled  me ,they pick biryani  over klrahul 

Ideally by now he should have had 40-50 ODIs under his belt and versatility to either bat at #4 or open the batting as the situation demands. The biggest advantage for him over his competitors (claimants for #4) is that he can open the batting, as is evident in tests and T20s. It is not like we have another Kohli to keep him out, all the alternatives we tried were either past it (Dhoni, UV, Raina) or uninspiring (Rahane, Rayudu, Pandey, DK). In which world is it fair that KLR gets merely 13 ODIs on a non-continuous basis (spread over 4 years ) while Rahane is a veteran of 90 ODIs? 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Gollum

[VT87]

I hope after wc debacle  they will cut down kohli's  power and these  dead weights biryani  , dhoni , batla ( jadhav) thrown out of the team.

[Gollum]

Reserve opener 

#4 (if groomed) 

Big hitter 

Good fielder 

2nd wicket-keeper in the squad 

 

We could have moulded KLR into a vital member of this ODI unit. So much time and energy wasted in trying to make something out of mediocrities. In Rahul we had an uncut diamond, but we failed to polish him and maximize his potential. Kohli and Sachin looked much worse in their first couple of years, look where they ended. We may never know in case of a few of the unlucky ones, Rahul being a shining example. 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Gollum

[The Dark Horse]

He was choosy about opening. Now is ready to play in middle order, but TM is not ready.

[velu]

if we go by T20 performance , we should pick DK ahead of KL .. 

[Gollum]

3 minutes ago, The Dark Horse said:

He was choosy about opening. Now is ready to play in middle order, but TM is not ready.

How do we know he was choosy? Maybe TM drilled into his head that he was only being looked at as 3rd opener? We don't know what goes on behind the scenes. At least I don't believe a rookie can demand his batting position in the XI, more so when you have Kohli-Shastri at the helm..maybe they brainwashed him  

 

Whaddya think? They put his name in the team sheet and then he threw a hissy fit saying he won't bat at #4? Believe me if that ever happens, a player will get discharged for disciplinary reasons. And no one likes to warm the bench...not even in a kid's club team, that is the worst feeling, having to cheer your mates from outside. 

[Gollum]

11 minutes ago, velu said:

if we go by T20 performance , we should pick DK ahead of KL .. 

T20 performance: KLR average 44, SR 149. Best combo among Indian batsmen (all time). Come again?

 

Besides Karthik has been given enough chances, 91 ODIs to be exact. All I am saying is KLR should have got at least half those many chances starting from 2016, if he failed there he should have got the boot. Now we never know, we can only imagine the endless possibilities how it could have turned out differently.  

Edited March 5, 2019 by Gollum

[velu]

25 minutes ago, Gollum said:

T20 performance: KLR average 44, SR 149. Best combo among Indian batsmen (all time). Come again?

 

 

DK finished T20 games like no other which includes KL as well ..

 

26 minutes ago, Gollum said:

All I am saying is KLR should have got at least half those many chances starting from 2016, if he failed there he should have got the boot. Now we never know, we can only imagine the endless possibilities how it could have turned out differently.  

 

people said samething about his test batting as well ..  

from whatever i saw , cant guarantee his success in ODIs ..  he is weak vs spin and weak vs swing ..

more than that he takes his batting carelessly 

[The Dark Horse]

37 minutes ago, Gollum said:

 

How do we know he was choosy? Maybe TM drilled into his head that he was only being looked at as 3rd opener? We don't know what goes on behind the scenes. At least I don't believe a rookie can demand his batting position in the XI, more so when you have Kohli-Shastri at the helm..maybe they brainwashed him  

 

 

Based on what has happened...may be he's so used to opening that he didn't feel so good coming down the order. IPL success, fans to back him - online and offline - maybe made him think he's entitled to that opening spot. I might be wrong, but I think this is what might have happened.

 

Whaddya think? They put his name in the team sheet and then he threw a hissy fit saying he won't bat at #4? Believe me if that ever happens, a player will get discharged for disciplinary reasons. And no one likes to warm the bench...not even in a kid's club team, that is the worst feeling, having to cheer your mates from outside. 

 

Probably that's when he realised that Rohit and Dhawan are not going anywhere, and I cannot afford to be choosy.

 

[velu]

Rohit , Dhawan and Kohli .. probably the best #3 ATM

noway KL can sneak inside .. 

[Gollum]

52 minutes ago, velu said:

 

DK finished T20 games like no other which includes KL as well ..

DK is a finisher, KLR is an opener..different roles. Besides as I said DK has been given enough chances to cement his ODI spot, not the case with KLR.

52 minutes ago, velu said:

from whatever i saw , cant guarantee his success in ODIs ..  he is weak vs spin and weak vs swing ..

more than that he takes his batting carelessly 

You may be right but it is always better to give sufficient chances and then decide...proof is in the pudding, can't take a leap of faith. Besides I said he needed to be given a push way back in 2016 when he was in good touch and also confident. 

[Gollum]

42 minutes ago, velu said:

Rohit , Dhawan and Kohli .. probably the best #3 ATM

noway KL can sneak inside .. 

#4 plus 3rd opener. Needed matches under his belt. 

[Gollum]

Why did Rohit and Dhawan have to play every single *ing match these last 4 years? Where is the bloody contingency planning? If one of them gets injured or loses form, they expect a rookie to immediately make his mark? I have said it earlier and I will repeat it, our top 3 are over-rated (still excellent) and also damn selfish, all they ever do is useless stats boosting never letting go off an opportunity to inflate their numbers. They too have played a big part in us having a soft middle order and no back up options. Why no rotation policy followed for top 3 especially in useless bilaterals against WI, Lanka, dead rubbers etc?

Edited March 5, 2019 by Gollum

[putrevus]

What did he do with all the chances he got in tests, there is nothing about his list A career suggests he is good ODI player.

Edited March 5, 2019 by putrevus

[jf1gp_1]

and the rahul debate al over again...

[VT87]

Rahul's  fan needs  to be  understand, he is not as good as they think. He has not done any thing substantial  to prove his credential. He was garbage in Sa,eng and aus.  I'm  supporting  him in this thread cause  he is better  than biryani  .

Edited March 5, 2019 by VT87