India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is hopeful that KL Rahul’s Test career will have a turnaround under coach Gautam Gambhir, and he will return to form in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh. After a seven-month break, Rahul’s return in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai was underwhelming, with scores of 16 and an unbeaten 22. Despite his struggles, Rahul remains a key part of India’s plans, but questions have been raised about his batting approach in the longer format.
Before the series, Rahul played a single Duleep Trophy match for India A, where his 111-ball 37 was criticized for being too defensive and failing to capitalize on key moments. However, he showed resilience in the second innings with a gritty 57 off 121 balls, anchoring the innings during a collapse, though India A ultimately lost to India B.
“I think when you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need. Sometimes, it’s just direction. I feel KL is… having spent a little time with him in the last few days. I think he is someone who understands his game very well. Yes, I feel there are times when a player is finding his feet. In South Africa, he played tremendous knocks for India,” Abhishek Nayar told the media on the eve of the 2nd Test in Kanpur.
Since his Test debut in 2014, Rahul has featured in 51 matches, scoring 2,901 runs at an average of 34.12. His role as an opener has seen him amass 2,551 runs in 75 innings, with seven centuries and 12 fifties, but his performance across other positions has been inconsistent. At No.3, he has managed just 88 runs in five innings at an average of 17.60, while at No.4, he has scored 108 runs across two innings at a healthy average of 54. In six innings at No.6, he has added 154 runs to his tally.
Nayar, who has mentored several Indian players during their challenging phases, believes the numbers shouldn’t be overanalyzed. “Yes, there are times when a player is finding his feet. I feel in South Africa, Rahul played some tremendous knocks for India. We are very hopeful that with the combination of Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and myself, we can bring about a turnaround for him,” Nayar said.
Acknowledging that regaining form can take time, Nayar is optimistic about Rahul’s future. “The way he batted in the second innings of the last game showed what we’re looking for. Even though we didn’t give him much of a chance in the second innings, his approach was promising,” the assistant coach noted. “I’m confident that going forward, the expectations from him will align with his performances.”
