Why India should move on from KL Rahul

KL Rahul is the perfect batsman to mesmerize the connoisseurs of textbook batting. Eye-catching strokeplay and sublime drives form a big part of his batting. It's all there, it's just not there consistently enough. The right-hander has remained an underachiever in Test cricket so far, despite all the attractive shots he possesses in his repertoire.

A few gutsy knocks, then a string of failures in between, and each time the string keeps getting longer; this has been the story of Rahul's Test career. The numbers don't make for a pleasant read. Despite a career spanning over 8 years and 46 Test matches, his batting average continues to languish in the early-to-mid 30s.

How long can India keep giving him opportunities with his inconsistent returns while there is a pool of domestic talent itching to get into the team? Here we will do an analysis of what has gone wrong for KL Rahul so far and who could possibly replace him in the playing XI.

When did the downward spiral start?

Since the start of 2018, KL Rahul averages 26.57 in 25 Test matches.

Rahul's last purple patch in Test cricket was in 2016-17. It was in 2018 when the decline started. Since then, he has scored 1196 runs in 25 Tests at an average of 26.57. During this period, the only year in which he surpassed the batting average of 25 was in 2021.

Have India given KL Rahul a sufficiently long rope?

The answer seems to be a resounding yes. No other opener has played more tests (23) than KL Rahul in the last 5 years. The closest to Rahul is Mayank Agarwal, with 20 tests as an opener.

Here is a list of other openers who have featured for India since 2018.

Openers:	Tests Played since 2018
Cheteshwar Pujara	1
Hanuma Vihari	1
Murali Vijay	8
Shikhar Dhawan	6
Shubhman Gill	13
Mayank Agarwal	20
Rohit Sharma	18
Prithvi Shaw	5

Who could replace KL Rahul in the XI?

Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal seem the best choices to bat alongside Rohit Sharma right now.

India are spoilt for choice when it comes to Test openers. The best choice to replace the 30-year-old at the top is Shubman Gill, who is in red hot form right now. Prithvi Shaw and Yashasvi Jaiswal have also been knocking on the door of selectors with their domestic performances.

If India want to dig deep into their arsenal, they have Abhimanyu Easwaran who has been waiting in the wings for more than six years. India could also go back to Mayank Agarwal, who has had a splendid run in home Tests throughout his career.

Should India make the harsh call?

It seems fair considering the amount of time Rahul has been given. Indian selectors have always been lenient in terms of giving more opportunities to senior players, but the time has come to look beyond KL Rahul.