KL Rahul was in charge of Team India during the recently concluded two-match Test series in Bangladesh in the absence of the injured Rohit Sharma.
There are three batters who can take his place for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. Despite the visitors’ 2-0 series victory, Rahul’s performance with the bat was extremely disappointing. He scored 22, 23, 10, and two in his partnership with Shubman Gill in the first over of the innings.
During his time out in the middle, the 30-year-old never seemed at ease. Even though Gill also had three low scores, he was able to score his first Test ton in Chattogram.
Rahul’s status in the Indian team has been scrutinized in light of his failures in Bangladesh. The right-handed batter is expected to be dropped from India’s upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka at home, which will be their first assignment in 2023. Rahul should also be dropped from the Test team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February and March, according to some experts.
As per previous India cricketer Wasim Jaffer, Rahul ought not to be a piece of the playing XI on the off chance that Rohit is good for the Tests against Australia.
Gill is likely to keep his spot as one of the openers in the Test team in the event that Rohit makes a comeback.
In the event that Rahul is omitted from the team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2023, we will take a look at three players who could serve as substitute openers.
#1 Abhimanyu Easwaran
Bengal chief Abhimanyu Easwaran was added to the Indian group as cover for the harmed Rohit during the Test series in Bangladesh.
Easwaran did not get a chance to play because India started with Gill and Rahul. Easwaran, on the other hand, could remain in the team this time as a replacement for Rahul in the event that the Indian selectors make the difficult decision to drop him.
The 27-year-old has been in fantastic structure with the willow. During the Bangladesh tour, he was in charge of India A and played a key role in both unofficial Test matches. In the first game, Easwaran scored 141 points, and in the second, 157. He had previously scored 50 and 122 for Bengal in the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Easwaran’s first-class record is impressive. Since making his debut in December 2013, he has scored 5576 runs in 78 matches, averaging 45.33 runs per game and scoring 18 hundred. He has been contacting the Indian selection committee for some time.
#2 Priyank Panchal
Despite being 32 years old, Gujarat skipper Priyank Panchal is still one of the most consistent openers on the domestic circuit. Consistency can be rewarded at any time, as Suryakumar Yadav has demonstrated! In Gujarat’s two Ranji Trophy games this season, the right-handed batter has scored 111, 85, 52, and 0 runs.
In the previous Vijay Hazare Trophy, Panchal also performed well, scoring 2 hundred and 354 runs in seven matches at an average of 50.57. Panchal has grown into a household name in the country since making his first-class debut in 2008. He has scored 7566 runs in 108 matches at an average of 45.30, including 25 centuries.
After Rohit was ruled out with a hamstring injury, the seasoned Gujarat batter was named to the Indian Test team for the tour of South Africa at the end of 2021. He didn’t play in any of India’s first matches, which were led by Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
When selecting the team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the selectors will have a second chance to reward Panchal for his consistency with the willow.
#3 Prithvi Shaw
Despite outstanding domestic performances over the past few years, Prithvi Shaw has not been considered for a comeback to the Test team. Although selectors have stated that they are keeping an eye on his batting prowess, his name has not been included in team selections.
Shaw, 23, became the youngest Indian Test centurion on debut and the second-youngest Test centurion for India after Sachin Tendulkar in 2018 when he played against the West Indies. Notwithstanding, he has just played five Tests in his profession up until this point, the remainder of which came in Adelaide in December 2020, when was excused for 0 and four.
This year, Shaw has had a poor start to his Ranji Trophy campaign, scoring 13, nine, and six in his first two matches. But overall, ever since he was dropped from the Indian team, he has been very consistent on the domestic circuit. He was fantastic for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy, scoring two hundred and fifty runs in two matches and scoring 315 runs at an average of 105.