Following India’s victory in the Delhi Test, the BCCI confirmed the squad for the remaining two Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022/23 matches where KL Rahul is sacked as vice-captain.
On Sunday, India beat Australia on Day 3 of the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi (February 19). The day began with Australia well-placed at 61 for 1, with an overall lead of 62 runs, but they were dismissed for a meager 113 on the third day. Ravindra Jadeja (7 for 42) wreaked havoc with the red cherry before Rohit Sharma and company raced down 114 with six wickets in hand. With the victory, India now has a 2-0 lead in the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the BCCI has picked an unchanged lineup for the final two Tests.
But, there was one significant update. Due to his poor form, Indian opener KL Rahul was removed from the vice-captain’s position. It should be noted that the right-hander has only scored 198 runs in his last 12 innings. He has 38 runs in three innings of the ongoing Test series against the Baggy Greens and has looked absolutely out of sorts. As a result, it is thought that he paid the price for his poor form by being fired as Rohit’s deputy. According to The Indian Express, the administration has attempted to relieve Rahul of his leadership responsibilities.
Rahul has been Rohit’s deputy since he took over as India’s full-time captain
It should be noted that Rahul has been Rohit’s deputy since Hitman took over as India’s full-time captain in early 2022. In 2022, he captained India in three Tests, six ODIs, and one T20I, and he was India’s white-ball vice-captain before relinquishing the position to Hardik Pandya last month. As a result, he is no longer part of the leadership group and will need to come up with the bat to reclaim the vice-captaincy position, at least in whites.
Despite his dismal record, Rahul enjoys the backing of captain Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid. “Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about Rahul’s batting. As team management, we always look at any individual’s potential, not just KL. I have been asked this in the past about a lot of players. If a guy has potential, he will get that extended run,” Rohit said in the post-match news conference following the Delhi Test.
On the other hand, Dravid told Star Sports, “I think he (Rahul) needs to trust his processes. This is just a phase, he has been one of our most successful overseas openers. He’s got centuries in South Africa and England, we’ll continue to back him. I believe he has the quality and class to come out of this.”