The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the Indian team for the three-match IND vs AFG T20 International series against Afghanistan. In this way, the waiting game that has been going on for the last week is over, who will get the chance, who will not? Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to the T20 team, but KL Rahul is still not part of the T20 International series.
Apart from Virat and Rohit, Sanju Samson also returned to the team. At the same time, when wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul’s name did not appear in the team, then various things started again that KL Rahul would not be considered for the T20 team.
The selection committee has neither seen KL Rahul as an opener nor a middle-order batter in T20s. Even as a wicketkeeper, he has gone with Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma. At the same time, KL Rahul has confirmed his place in the ODI and Test team, while he is out of the T20 team.
According to the Indian Express report, KL Rahul has not been selected for the 3-match T20I series because the selectors have given a chance to other players for both opening and middle-order places.
KL Rahul has played most of his T20 internationals and domestic T20 matches as an opener, but with the emergence of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the competition for the two opening slots has become tough. Rohit and Virat have returned, so there is no spot vacant at the top of the batting order.
It is not that the path of the T20 team has been closed for this Karnataka batsman. If he plays for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024, he will score more runs as a wicketkeeper-batsman than his opponents Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant (if fit), and Jitesh Sharma, And if he scores runs at a fast pace, then he can be considered for the T20 World Cup 2024.
However, at that time the question will be at what position KL Rahul plays. If he plays as an opener, it will be difficult for him to make a place in the team.
Also Read – IND vs AFG: Is the path clear for Sanju Samson for the T20 World Cup 2024?
