"Why Can't He Be Dropped?": Kapil Dev's Stern Verdict on India Star Ahead Of Australia Test Series
Kapil Dev made it clear that the Indian cricket team star is not indispensable and he will be dropped in order to maintain the proper team composition.
Former Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev believes that KL Rahul is not indispensable for the national side and if he does not help the team composition, he can be dropped for the first Test against Australia starting February 9. There has been a lot of speculation around the playing XI India can field in Nagpur with both Rahul and Shubman Gill getting considered for the opening slot with Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, Rahul can also be used as a middle-order option in the absence of the injured Shreyas Iyer but he once again faces tough competition from in-form Suryakumar Yadav.
"Why can't he be dropped? There should not be any rule like that. You need to look at team combination, who the team needs in order to win. There is no necessity. In Indian cricket, I don't think there is a constant system like a vice-captain. Back in the day, we had a new vice-captain in every Test match. He is a very matured player; I even like him," Kapil said on Uncut.
"I consider him to be a fine batter but if he doesn't fit in the team, then let it be. The team comes first and I guess for that the captain and the management needs to take a call. Some players are lucky. Rahul Dravid too played many such matches where he was made to keep wicket."
The former India skipper was also all praise for Shubman Gill who has been enjoying a brilliant run of form in the recently concluded limited-overs games against New Zealand. Kapil said that he is playing better than any player at this moment and he needs to be given consistent opportunities.
“When we played cricket, we used to say a man in form is important. In today's time, no one is playing better than him. Everyone is playing well but he is a bit better. There is a huge difference between him now and him around one year back. He is getting mature with time and if he does not play now, he may lose out the chance to become a superstar and just remain a star,” he explained.
KL Rahul