Ultimately its performance that keeps you in side – Gautam Gambhir on KL Rahul

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has advised KL Rahul to score runs consistently in order to hold his place in the team. Rahul hasn’t been at his best in the recent past and he will need to turn the tables in the upcoming matches.

Rahul led India against Bangladesh in the two-match Test series in the absence of Rohit Sharma but could not deliver with the bat. The right-hander could only score 57 runs in two Test matches at an average of 14.25 against the hosts.

The Karnataka batter scored 95 runs in three ODIs against the Tigers. Furthermore, Rahul failed to deliver in the big matches of the T20 World Cup as an opener.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir observed KL Rahul from close quarters while working as a mentor for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022. Gambhir stated every player must perform at his best to hold his place in the team.

“You can only control what you can control. You can’t control selectors, you can’t control what’s going to happen in the next series. You got three ODIs against Sri Lanka. If you play that, just be in the present. That’s all you can control. The moment you start to think about uncontrollable things, you’re putting undue pressure on yourself,” Gambhir said in Star Sports’ A Chat with Champions.

“If you don’t perform, someone else will take your position. That’s not only with Sanju or KL, it’s with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as well. If they don’t perform, you will start questioning their positions too. That’s what international cricket is about. No one is indispensable. So you got three ODIs, you bat in the middle-order, try and get those runs because ultimately it’s the performance that keeps you in the side. Not the name, not your talent,” Gambhir said.

KL Rahul has been rested for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka and he will return to the squad for the ODI series against the Island country.

On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir feels it will be difficult for players like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli to hold their places in the team for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The former Delhi player believes it will make sense if the selectors give chances to the young generation of players while talking to ESPN Cricinfo.