The strange case of KL Rahul

KL Rahul has by far been one of the most promising talents the country has seen in recent times. Time and again he has shown that he has got everything that it takes to be successful in this game but 2018 hasn't been the year he and his fans have been looking forward to.

It all started in South Africa wherein he was given the responsibility to open the innings after Shikhar Dhawan failed in the first test but he failed to capitalize. Question marks started to emerge on his technique and on his position in the team but a sumptuous IPL 2018 silenced one and all.

Many would agree to the fact that he was head and shoulders above every other batsman part of that tournament. He was consistent, attacking, innovative all at the same time and many felt India have unearthed something special here. 459 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of close to 160 speaks for itself.

A hundred to start off the tour and a hundred to end the tour doesn't tell the complete picture. When he got that hundred in the first game of the tour everyone thought that India has found a solution to the moving ball but that wasn't to be. A string of failures highlighted his technical deficiencies which also meant that India never got off to a good start in test series. A hundred in the final test at the Oval did save his place in the team but the fate of the series was already decided by then.

Two home tests versus a depleted West Indies side was a huge opportunity for him to regain his form but he failed to maximize this opportunity too . Shannon Gabriel kept causing him a lot of trouble around the off stump probably taking a leaf out of James Anderson's book. Down and out, his future looked undecided after this series .

Rahul got his first test ton in Australia

Although badly out of form, he was chosen in the team for Australia mainly because of the form he showed there last time around. Oppositions changed, pitches changed but his form didn't. After failing to convert his start in both the opening tests he was once again dropped.

India would be hoping that the end of 2018 also ends Rahul's woeful form.