India's squad for the upcoming Afghanistan T20I series was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday evening. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's comeback is the biggest highlight of the squad announcement but there lies another facet in it. While the return of Kohli and Rohit makes it clear that they are back in plans for the T20 World Cup 2024, the absence of KL Rahul hints he has fallen back in the scheme of things for the World Cup in West Indies and USA in June.
The T20 World Cup is less than six months away now and the Afghanistan series is the final T20I assignment for the Men in Blue with the upcoming time full of Test cricket and IPL ahead of the the big-ticket tournament. There is uncertainty over his future in the format owing to his struggle in the T20 World Cup 2022 and the backlash he received on social media after that.
Transforming Rahul ready to do anything that team needs
However, a transforming KL Rahul recently said that he is ready to do anything the team needs from him. The Karnataka batter has predominantly opened the innings for India. Out of 68 innings in the T20I format, Rahul has batted up the order in 52 of those outings. He has also not kept wickets in T20Is much as he has been with the gloves in just 8 matches.
He had a similar role in Tests and to some extent in ODIs too where he used to open and play as a fielder. But he has now transformed himself into a middle-order batter who keeps wicket in those two formats. The 31-year-old admitted multiple times that he is open to doing anything that the team needs.
On being asked ahead of the South Africa series whether he would like to take the middle-order wicket-keeper's role in Tests just like he has done in ODIs, Rahul admitted that he is happy to accept new roles. I'll be happy to take up that role in Test matches. "I've always been hoping to accept new roles. I'm happy to do whatever the coach and captain ask of me, and if that's the role that the team sees me in during the Tests, I'm happy to do that," Rahul said ahead of India's first Test against South Africa.
He confirmed the same for T20Is too. "I want to play for the country, I want to play as many games as I can. It’s a cliched line, but as you play more, you understand when it’s a team game, no position is yours. You have to be able to perform whatever the team requires. You have to be flexible, and adjust and do your best for the team," he added.
After the Test series in Cape Town too, he stated that he has told the team to just keep him in the Playing XI at any slot and he will do the role.
Rahul's T20 World Cup 2022
The T20 World Cup 2022 was a challenging one for Rahul and Rohit Sharma too. Rahul scored 128 runs from 6 matches and his average of 21.33 was the lowest among the top 10 highest-run-scoring openers placed above him. His strike rate was better than only five above him. Rahul found it hard to get off the blocks as he played 21 dots in the 26 balls faced in the first over in the tournament. Rohit too had underwhelming numbers to show with 116 runs at a 19.33 average and 106.42 strike rate.
Rahul's way ahead
Notably, the transformed role can see him garner thoughts over his selection. He is open to taking up the middle-order role in T20Is and reportedly even in the IPL for his franchise Lucknow Super Giants. He faces competition from the likes of Jitesh Sharma, and Sanju Samson, both of whom are in the T20I series for Afghanistan.
The upcoming IPL can be a crucial point in determining the way forward for Rahul in T20Is as the Indian cash-rich league will definitely play a role in finalising the squad for the June World Cup. Like he has done extremely well so far, if he can manage the comeback one more time, the day is coming for Rahul again.
