Former India fast bowler Dodda Ganesh has slammed Gautam Gambhir and India’s current team management for dropping KL Rahul in the final ODI against Sri Lanka. The match is do-or-die for India and they need to win this in order to finish the series on level terms.
Sri Lanka won the toss for the third time in a row and elected to bat first again. India made two surprising changes in the Playing XI. Riyan Parag and Rishabh Pant came into the Playing XI in place of KL Rahul and Arshdeep Singh.
The move to exclude Arshdeep Singh was expected as the pitches in the ODI series have been highly assisting the spinners. But the decision to drop KL Rahul was criticized by many fans and experts who believe that Rahul shouldn’t have been dropped after just two matches in such a long time.
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Dodda Ganesh brutally slams Gautam Gambhir for dropping KL Rahul
Dodda Ganesh was one of those experts who launched a scathing attack on Gautam Gambhir and India’s team management regarding the ouster of KL Rahul. Ganesh expressed his concerns over selecting both Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag together in a Playing XI and that too in a series decider.
“Only in a crazy universe will u have Dube and Riyan Parag playing ahead of KL Rahul, in a decider ODI. Don’t understand what’s happening. He was leading India just 3 ODIs ago and all of a sudden, one failure & he is out of the playing XI. Ridiculous is an understatement,” Dodda Ganesh posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Only in a crazy universe will u have Dube and Riyan Parag playing ahead of KL Rahul, in a decider ODI. Don’t understand what’s happening. He was leading India just 3 ODIs ago and all of a sudden, one failure & he is out of the playing XI. Ridiculous is an understatement #SLvIND
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) August 7, 2024
KL Rahul’s brilliance as India’s ODI wicketkeeper
KL Rahul has been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper since he returned from injury in the Asia Cup last year. His wicketkeeping has gradually improved and he has hardly made any mistakes behind the wickets while also taking some great catches.
Rahul’s ability with the bat was never in question and the right-hander found his spot at No. 5 in India’s ODI line-up. He played as a middle-order batter despite being an opener but has been hugely successful in this role. Rahul’s runs in crisis situations have bailed India out of misery a no. of times.
KL Rahul’s current form
The 32-year-old played a crucial role in India’s Asia Cup victory last year where he smashed a brilliant century against Pakistan. In the ODI World Cup 2023, he was excellent throughout the tournament and scored runs consistently. Not only with the bat, he was impressive as a wicketkeeper as well.
Rahul scored an unbeaten 97 in India’s opening game of the World Cup to bail India out of huge trouble. In the final as well, he top-scored for India with 66, albeit in a losing cause.
However, Rahul’s form in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka hasn’t been promising. The right-hander scored just 31 runs in two matches and was dropped for Rishabh Pant in the final match.