'Not important what social media thinks'- Gautam Gambhir defends decision to back KL Rahul in India Test team despite criticism

Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir shed light upon KL Rahul's spot in the team despite criticism on social media after his failure in the Bengaluru Test.

KL Rahul very recently had also helped India set up a win with his 68(43) against Bangladesh in a rain-affected game where India produced a result against all odds. He had also played a knock of 86 in the only Test he played earlier this year against England before getting injured.

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How did Gautam Gambhir back KL Rahul's spot in the Test playing 11?

Following KL's poor performance in the game against New Zealand where Sarfaraz Khan, who is considered to be his potential replacement scored a 150 in the absence of Shubman Gill, a lot of questions were raised regarding who should sit out if Gill returns for the second Test.

While Gambhir did not provide a direct answer regarding who will play in the playing 11, he displayed his support for Rahul during a time in which both the media and fans on social media have called for him to be dropped.

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"Social media doesn't decide playing XI. It is not important what social media or experts think, it is important what team management thinks. He had a decent knock in a tough Kanpur pitch. Yes, he would want to score big runs. And this team management is looking to back him," said Gambhir.

KL Rahul over the years has always shown promise in tough conditions, whether it be his debut series in Australia or tough conditions where he opened in England in 2021 or in South Africa.

During the Proteas tour. he scored a crucial hundred at the Centurion, batting at 6 in adverse batting conditions in India's innings defeat. He has batted all over the batting order and more often than not has delivered.

However, when it came to consistency and relatively easier conditions, he hasn't been able to be as impactful for the team, which eventually affected his recent numbers in Test cricket, which does not do justice to the talent and potential he possesses.

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