3 batters who can replace KL Rahul for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023
The India team was led by KL Rahul during the recently concluded two-match test series in Bangladesh in the absence of the injured Rohit Sharma. While the visitors managed to win the series 2-0, Rahul had a very disappointing run. Opening with Shubman Gill, he scored 22, 23, 10 and two scores.
The 30-year-old has never looked comfortable in the middle. Although Gill also had three low scores, he still managed his first Test ton on Chattogram.
After the failure in Bangladesh, Rahul’s place in the Indian team was questioned. The left-handed batsman will compete in the T20I series against Sri Lanka at home, India’s first challenge of 2023, according to media reports. Gavascar Cup in February-March
According to former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer, if Rohit is eligible for the Test against Australia then Rahul should not be in the XI match.
If Rohit returns, Gill is likely to retain his place in the Test squad as one of the rookies.
We take a look at three players who could be added to the squad as replacements should Rahul be ruled out of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy tournament.
#1 Abhimanyu Easwaran
Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was included in the Indian squad as a cover for Rohit who was injured during the test series in Bangladesh.
Easwaran did not play a single match when India were knocked out with Gill and Rahul as the first two players. But if the Indian coach takes the difficult decision to drop Rahul, Easwaran could still be in the team, this time as a replacement for the former.
The 27-year-old is on excellent terms with the Willows. He topped India A on tour to Bangladesh and starred in both unofficial Tests. Easwaran scored 141 goals in the first match and 157 in the second match. Earlier, he scored 50 and 122 points for Bengal in the 2022-23 Vijay Hazard Trophy.
#2 Priyank Panchal
Gujarat captain Priyank Panchal may be 32 years old, but he is one of the most consistent newcomers in the domestic circuit. As Suyakumar Yadav proves, it’s never too late to reward persistence! The left-hander scored 111, 85, 52 and 0 points in two Ranji Trophy matches for Gujarat this season.
Panchal also did well in the previous Vijay Hazard Trophy, scoring 354 runs in seven games at an average of 50.57 for two centuries. Since his debut in the premier class in 2008, Panchal has established himself as an ardent fan of national football. He scored 7,566 runs in 108 games at an average of 45.30 in 25 centuries.
The veteran Gujarat batsman has been named in India’s Test squad to tour South Africa in late 2021 after Rohit was sidelined with a hamstring injury. He did not appear in any of the matches when India opened with Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
#3 Prithvi Shaw
Despite some outstanding performances in domestic cricket over the years, Prithvi Shaw was not considered for a Test comeback. While the selectors said his batting heroics were tracked, his name disappeared during team selection.
The 23-year-old Shaw made history by making his Test debut against the West Indies in 2018, becoming the youngest Indian to score a Test century on debut and the second youngest player to score a Test century in India after Sachin Tendulkar. However, he has only played five Tests so far in his career, most recently in December 2020 in Adelaide when he was dismissed for 0 and four.
Shaw has not started his Ranji Trophy campaign very well this year, scoring 13, 9 and 6 points in two games. But overall, he has been consistently performing on the national track ever since he was dropped from the Indian squad. He performed brilliantly in the Duleep Trophy, scoring 315 points in two games for the West Zone, averaging 105 points in his two-and-a-half centuries.
