Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel lauded KL Rahul for his quickfire 68-run knock which came off 43 deliveries on Day 4 of the ongoing India-Bangladesh second Test in Kanpur on Monday. Rahul hit 7 boundaries and two sixes in a thrilling batting display as well.
The veteran has been questioned about his place in the Test side after Sarfaraz Khan did well in his absence during the second half of the England series earlier this year. However, Parthiv felt Rahul’s place was never in danger.

“I don’t think we need to question KL Rahul’s ability at all. If someone else has stepped up in his absence and done well, it doesn’t mean Rahul’s place was in danger. I was never in doubt about his position in the team. I think when you said KL Rahul was under pressure, I sometimes wonder why, because he had a very good series in South Africa, and before he got injured, he batted well against England,” Parthiv said in a conversation with Jio Cinema.

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“But today, he showed once again what kind of player he is. These are not the easiest shots to play, especially when there is no pace or bounce on the pitch. We saw a lot of inconsistent bounce as well, but KL Rahul, when he plays with a free mindset, we know the kind of shots he is capable of playing. We saw a lot of strike rotation too, and he has shown that ability today,” he further added.

However, KL Rahul’s onslaught helped India maintain a good run rate of over eight and finish at 285/9 declared in the 35th over of their first innings, having a 52-run first-innings lead as well.

“In every team, you will find one or two players who are always under pressure. If you look at their stats, you’ll see that they’ve performed well, but after just one or two low scores, we tend to put them under scrutiny. I think KL Rahul is that person in the Indian team. One or two bad games and people start questioning his place, which I think is not fair,” Tamim Iqbal said in the same interaction.