KL Rahul's place was never in danger: Parthiv Patel praises Kanpur heroics

Parthiv Patel praised KL Rahul for his attacking knock on Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and Bangladesh. He further said that Rahul's place was never in danger.

In Short

• KL Rahul scored his fastest fifty in Test cricket
• He scored 43-ball 68 on Day 4 of 2nd Test against Bangladesh
• Rahul's knock put India in a dominating position

Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel praised KL Rahul for his brilliant knock on Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. He questioned why the critics said that he was under pressure and highlighted his performances in whatever Tests he took part in. Rahul shut down his critics with a quick-fire fifty as he scored 43-ball 68 during India's 1st innings. This was his 15th and fastest half century as he propelled India to declare at 285/9.

"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. 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," Parthiv Patel told Jio Cinema.

After the 1st Test, Rahul was under immense scrutiny, but India's assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, seemed optimistic that KL Rahul could revive his Test career under the guidance of coach Gautam Gambhir and regain his form in the upcoming Kanpur Test against Bangladesh. After a seven-month break, Rahul's comeback in the first Test in Chennai did not go as planned, with scores of 16 and an unbeaten 22.

"We saw a lot of strike rotation too, and he has shown that ability today. 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."

Former Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal pointed out that a player like KL Rahul has always been put under pressure if he didn't perform even in one match.

"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," he added.

"Those are great words on KL Rahul because he has been prolific today. Scoring 68 off 43 balls, he proved his ability and remains a valuable asset. In five Test matches away from home, he has a great record. However, this game had two days washed out," Tamim said.