T20 World Cup 2022: "This has been a problem with KL Rahul for a long time" - Irfan Pathan says opener doesn't back himself on the mental front

Irfan Pathan has pointed out that KL Rahul has failed to show the required mental toughness on big stages like the T20 World Cup 2022.

Rahul was dismissed for just five runs in India's semi-final clash against England in Adelaide on Thursday, November 10. The Men in Blue set a 169-run target for Jos Buttler and Co. and eventually lost the match by 10 wickets.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked about his views on Rahul's T20 World Cup campaign. He responded:

"He started badly. After that, when he scored two half-centuries, they definitely came against teams where you expect runs, I felt another half-century was about to come, the form is about to come. But this has been a problem with KL Rahul for a long time."

The former Indian all-rounder feels the Karnataka opener lacks fortitude. He elaborated:

"When you watch him bat, you feel he is technically fantastic, but I feel when it comes to being tough on the mental front, he doesn't back himself there. We have spoken about his strike rate earlier."

Pathan added that even slight mental softness can impact your game adversely, explaining:

"When he comes back from injury, his initial movement is probably late. Here also both his feet were in the air. If he wanted, he could have given himself room and played the cut shot. He has all the ability against both pace and spin but if you are slightly soft at the top, it makes a huge impact on your cricket."

Rahul has drawn criticism from many cricket experts for his timid batting approach. Gautam Gambhir, the Lucknow Super Giants' mentor, has said in the past that the franchise's skipper tends to hold himself back.

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"He will also be disappointed with his performances in big matches" - Sanjay Bangar on KL Rahul

KL Rahul was caught behind off Chris Woakes' bowling in Thursday's game.

Sanjay Bangar was also asked about his views on Rahul not performing on the big stage. He replied:

"He will also be disappointed with his performances in big matches, especially against Pakistan, South Africa or England. You don't get World Cup glory immediately. There are a lot of players who don't get chances to play World Cup to World Cup, because the next World Cup is after two years in this format."

The former Indian batting coach concluded by hoping that Rahul raises his game on the big occasion going forward. He stated:

"If a player has to make his name, it is necessary to do it on the world stage in a must-win game. Your stature grows if you perform in such matches. I hope KL Rahul will make his impact on big matches going forward. It will give him a lot of satisfaction in terms of his career."

Rahul scored 128 runs at a below-par strike rate of 120.75 in his six innings in the T20 World Cup. He scored half-centuries against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but failed to reach the double-digit mark in the other four games.