Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has given his opinion on the selection of KL Rahul in the Indian squad for the World Cup. He said that after recovery from injury, KL Rahul should not automatically regain his spot in the Indian starting lineup, especially at the expense of Shreyas Iyer or Ishan Kishan. Rahul is now back with the team after being absent during the group stages.
During the absence of KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan stepped in as the No. 5 batsman during the group-stage match against Pakistan and he delivered an impressive half-century under challenging circumstances. Another advantage in his favor is that he is a left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman who scored an impressive 82 runs in his debut innings against Pakistan.
On the other hand, the star Indian middle-order batter, Shreyas Iyer participated in his first competitive match since March during the group stage of the Asia Cup 2023. He had been sidelined from the game for a long period due to a back injury and after that, he also went for surgery.
Harbhajan Singh shared his view about the players designated to be in the playing XI. He said, “It remains to be seen whether they will drop Iyer to bring Rahul in. I don’t think that will happen, and it should not happen as well. If a player is dropped after just one game, it will severely hamper his confidence. KL Rahul is a good player, but he will have to wait for his chances, it is part of the game and how it works.”
He further said that the management cannot change the batters after every match. He stated, “Shreyas Iyer also has just come in after an injury, and he should be given a proper opportunity. It should not be like if Iyer does not score runs in a game, then he is dropped for KL Rahul, and if KL Rahul does not score in the next game, then Suryakumar Yadav is brought in, It should not be like that.”
