3 times Venkatesh Prasad criticised KL Rahul heavily

KL Rahul, India's senior batter, has had a tough run of late. He was initially dropped from India's T20 plans after the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

He was then stripped of the ODI vice-captaincy and has now also lost the vice-captaincy of the test side, following a couple of dismal test matches against Australia in Nagpur and Delhi.

It seemed likely that he would be dropped from India's squad for the remaining two tests in Indore and Ahmedabad, but the selectors have opted to retain him.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, when asked about KL's prolonged lean patch, backed the opener, highlighting the crucial hundreds that he scored at Lord's and Centurian in the last overseas cycle.

However, not many others have a lot of patience left for Rahul, and one of those is former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad, who wants him dropped on an immediate basis.

Here, we look at instances when Prasad called out Rahul's performances, or lack thereof.

---

#1 After the first test in Nagpur

India hammered Australia in the opening test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur, winning by an innings and 132 runs.

There were a lot of positives for India to take from the game, like Ravindra Jadeja's successful comeback and Rohit Sharma's skillful century. However, one of the biggest concerns leading into the game became bigger at the end of it.

KL Rahul failed to produce a good showing yet again, falling to debutant Todd Murphy after making just 20 runs. Venkatesh Prasad seemed to have had enough as he launched his first attack on the 30-year-old batter.

He called out Rahul for having a poor average of 34 after 46 tests and more than 8 years in the international arena. He criticized the selectors too, for continually backing him despite his inconsistent showings.

---

#2 During the Delhi test

Rahul fell cheaply once again in India's first innings of the second test match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

He was dismissed by Nathan Lyon for 17, and his dismissal seemed to have rubbed off on skipper Rohit Sharma too, who was dismissed after a while as well.

His dismissal sparked a collapse as well, with India being reduced to 66-4 before the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, and Axar Patel forged a recovery.

Prasad was quick to pounce on the opportunity as he slammed the selectors for selecting Rahul over other batters who were more deserving of the opportunity.

He went on to write that 'Rahul's inclusion shakes belief in justice'. He also claimed that Rahul was not among the 10 best openers in the country.

---

#3 After the Delhi test

Prasad was not at all amused by the fact that the selectors retained Rahul for the remainder of the series, albeit stripping him of the vice captaincy.

He added that if his statemate gets to play in Indore, it could be his best chance of returning to form. He urged Rahul to go and play county cricket, just like Cheteshwar Pujara did when he was dropped.

However, Rahul's fans believed that Rahul had done well in overseas conditions, pointing out his efforts in Melbourne, at the Oval, at Lord's, and at the Centurion.

Prasad, though, was not having any of that, as he posted a compilation of Rahul's overseas record, which is not quite impressive. Rahul has an average of 30 across 56 innings outside India, justifying Prasad's argument.