"Doesn't mean that he won't find a place in the playing XI" - Saba Karim on KL Rahul losing vice-captaincy ahead of 3rd IND vs AUS Test

Former keeper-batter Saba Karim believes that while KL Rahul was recently sacked as India's Test vice-captain, he may still find a place in the playing XI for the upcoming third Test against Australia.

Karim stated that the opening batter lost the leadership position due to his recent underwhelming performances with the bat. He opined that despite Rahul's poor form, the team management is expected to give him a few more chances.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also pointed out that the good thing for Rahul is that India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. Karim claimed that things would have been a lot tougher for the struggling batter had the side lost the first two Tests.

Speaking to India News Sports, he said:

"The signal is very clear that he [KL Rahul] has been removed from the vice-captaincy because his performances haven't been up to the mark. However, this doesn't mean that he won't find a place in the playing XI. It's just that you can only be the vice-captain if you perform well."

"The advantage for KL Rahul is that India have been winning. Things would have been different had India been trailing 2-0. There wouldn't have been any hesitation in dropping Rahul from the team. Since India are ahead, and we know that these wickets are tough to bat on, I personally feel that he is still going to get a few more chances."

Rahul failed to get going in the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The right-handed batter has received widespread criticism for failures. He has mustered just 38 runs from three innings at a disappointing average of 12.66.

While he was skipper Rohit Sharma's deputy for the first two matches, he lost his vice-captaincy position ahead of the remaining fixtures. Notably, he was earlier replaced by Hardik Pandya as India's ODI vice-captain in December 2022.

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"Any player can go through such a phase, but that doesn't mean that you drop him" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on KL Rahul's lean patch

During the same discussion, Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma emphasized that KL Rahul should not be dropped from India's Test team.

He highlighted that Shubman Gill's stunning form has created more pressure for the out-of-form Rahul. Sharma, however, argued that all batters go through a difficult phase at some point in their careers, and it was important for the management to back them.

The veteran coach added:

"We all know that KL Rahul hasn't performed well. Shubman Gill, who has been in brilliant form, is sitting out, which adds pressure. However, if you look at Rahul's dismissals, he has been unfortunate quite a few times.

"While he hasn't done well in the recent past, it is important to note that he was made the vice-captain because he seemed like one of those players who could play in all three formats. Any player can go through such a phase, but that doesn't mean that you drop him. Players need support during such times"

The third Test between India and Australia will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore from Wednesday, March 1. Rohit Sharma and Co. will want to continue their dominance over the visitors as they look to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.