Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has said that KL Rahul has had a love-hate relationship with his fans. He added that the veteran batter has been criticized and praised almost equally too as well. However, India trail England 2-1 in the five-match Test series ahead of the fourth Test starting in Manchester on Wednesday, July 23.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “KL Rahul is slightly misunderstood. He gets trolled so much, but is praised as much. He gets trolled because he plays slow. Even now, people are stuck on November 19, 2023. In Tests, his numbers away from home are excellent. I think he has scored 10 centuries now, and only one has come in India.”
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“Opening is the toughest job to do in SENA countries. People go there and lose their jobs, but this guy has consistently scored runs there. He has started the series very well many times, but then there is a dip in form. If your average is 35 after so many Test matches, there is a slight problem for sure,” he added.
“If he were to maintain his form throughout the series, he would be one of the finest. Everyone says he bats clean, but consistency becomes an issue, and a big series in that. He has started well now. You nail the series, and you will be remembered in a very different fashion. An average of 35 doesn’t suit him. He will also have to find a way to score runs on the slow, dusty Indian pitches,” he further added.
However, Aakash Chopra also praised KL Rahul for adjusting his game while playing in the middle-order position in ODIs as well.
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“In ODIs, assuming he had played as an opener only, and had held onto his spot, he would have been very, very good. However, he has been moved up and down the order, and has got set down the order. His average is close to 50. It’s difficult as you learn to caress the ball as a Test opener, but as soon as you start going below No. 4 in ODIs, you need to muscle the ball. He has done that. Very few people can do it,” he said.
“In T20s, he is someone who stops himself. He doesn’t live up to his ability. He needs to change that. Some amount of criticism is legit. Sometimes he puts too much pressure on himself. It seems like the entire world’s problems are on his head. That is something only he can rectify. He is slightly misunderstood and slightly underperforming,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
