When Rohit Sharma came for the toss in Pune, he delivered a shocker for KL Rahul fans. In the second Test match against New Zealand, India made three changes: Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, and Akashdeep are back in the mix, while Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and the big name, KL Rahul, are out of the playing XI. But what could be the possible reason behind their exclusion? For Siraj, it’s somewhat understandable since New Zealand has a few left-handers, and Washington Sundar has been brought in to counter them. Also, Akashdeep has performed well in recent games, making him a deserving candidate. However, KL Rahul’s omission has surprised many.
Why KL Rahul is not playing?
The possible reason for KL Rahul’s exclusion likely stems from his recent performances. Scores of 0 and 12 in the first Test are not what you’d expect from a veteran batter. Not long ago, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate himself said that head coach Gautam is keen to give Rahul an extended run. However, the selection of the playing XI seems to contradict that statement. Also, with Sarfaraz Khan in form, scoring 150 runs in the last game, the competition between KL Rahul and Sarfaraz has become more challenging, with Sarfaraz coming out on top. It’s also worth noting that Rahul was preferred over Sarfaraz in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh last month. Although Rahul performed reasonably well, he didn’t quite produce match-winning results, further indicating that he may not be in top form.
IND vs NZ live telecast
The second Test match between India and New Zealand is taking place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Cricket Stadium in Pune. For viewers in India, the match will be telecast on the Sports-18 channel
