Sunil Gavaskar thinks KL Rahul is a solid team player, but he hasn’t quite hit his stride yet. Rahul has been moving around the batting order, trying to find a stable spot in the Test team. With Rohit Sharma retiring, he now has a chance to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
In the first innings, Rahul started well with 42 runs but couldn’t push further for a bigger score. By the end of Day 3, he was sitting at 47 not out. He looked good in the final session, helping India reach 90 for two and building a lead of 96 runs.
Talking to the broadcasters after the day’s play, Gavaskar noted that Rahul has a calmness about him. He pointed out that even Rahul knows he hasn’t completely tapped into his potential. “He’s a total team player,” Gavaskar said. “He’s even kept wickets when needed. You want that kind of attitude on the team. He handles situations well, and it’s impressive because these days everyone is looking for attention. His celebrations are low-key, too. The key point is, KL Rahul doesn’t realize how good he really is.”
Gavaskar praised Rahul’s talent and his range of shots, mentioning that he hasn’t yet lived up to the expectations. “He can hit every kind of shot, but he hasn’t shown that consistently. It might come down to some self-doubt that holds him back,” he explained.
On Day 3, watching Rahul’s batting was exciting for Gavaskar. He particularly loved his cover drive and hopes Rahul can shine in the series, aiming for around 700 runs. “He plays some amazing shots, whether off the front foot or back foot,” Gavaskar said. “That cover drive is just perfect. I really hope he performs well and scores a lot for India.”