Abhishek Nayar, India’s assistant coach, has offered his support to KL Rahul, expressing confidence in the batsman’s ability to shine in his Test career, a journey that has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the past decade. Since making his debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2014, Rahul has experienced a rollercoaster of form that has kept him in and out of the national team.
KL Rahul’s career has been marked by sporadic moments of brilliance. From his century in his second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to triumphant performances in Colombo, Kingston, London, and Centurion (where he scored centuries twice), Rahul has shown flashes of his potential. Despite these achievements, his consistency has been questionable. Among Indian Test batsmen who have played 50 or more matches, Rahul’s average of 34.12 stands as the lowest, which underscores his struggle for steady form.
Traditionally an opener, Rahul has now been slotted into the middle order, a move that Nayar believes might help him transform his potential into consistent performances for the team. Speaking ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, Nayar emphasized that playing for the Indian team does not necessarily require external inspiration.
“When you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need,” Nayar stated on Thursday. “Sometimes it is just direction, and I feel, having spent a little time with KL in the last few days, he is someone who understands his game very well. Yes, there are times when a player is sort of finding his feet.”
Recalling Rahul’s stint in South Africa, Nayar pointed out that the batsman had delivered commendable performances there. He expressed hope that the guidance from the coaching staff, including Gautam Gambhir, will help Rahul turn a corner. “We are very hopeful with the kind of conversation that Gauti [Gautam Gambhir] bhai and I have had with him, that hopefully we can have a turnaround in KL as well. These things sometimes take time.”
Rahul participated in the first Test in Chennai, recording scores of 16 and an unbeaten 22 in the two innings. The Indian team was pushing for a declaration in the second innings, which led to Rahul’s early departure despite a fluent performance. According to Nayar, this was a promising sign.
“Even in the last game, I know we did not end up giving him much of a shot in the second innings, but the way he was batting in the second innings is the kind of cricket we are expecting and hoping from him. And I am pretty sure going forward you will see the expectations and the performances that you have from him.”
Rahul replaced Sarfaraz Khan at the No. 6 spot in Chennai.
. Sarfaraz had been impressive against England, scoring three half-centuries in five innings, and his promotion to the national team followed a decade of hard work at the domestic level. Nayar believes that such internal competition is part of the natural course of a player’s career and emphasizes the importance of clear communication.
“The last Test match was 7-8 months ago and there has been a lot of time between that Test match and this one. The communication is very clear, what are your expectations from the players and what do you want them to work on,” Nayar explained.
He also highlighted that being part of the Indian team is a significant achievement in itself, and players understand that there will be times when they have to make way for others. “Every player is motivated, and to be a part of an Indian team, is a big thing in a lot of ways. A player understands that there will be times when he will have to sit out for someone else. Such times will come in every player’s career – whether it was Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli [they had to go through that].”
Sarfaraz, although unlikely to feature in the Kanpur Test, was seen taking extra practice sessions alongside Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Nayar emphasized the importance of the support staff in nurturing players who are left out. “But in those times, it is very important that we as a support staff have a growth mindset and try to develop the players. If the players are even better, when they come back to the team and get a chance, they should be ready to perform.”
As India prepares for the second Test, the possibility of changes in the batting lineup remains slim, with Rahul likely to retain his place. However, there could be the inclusion of an additional spinner, considering the conditions in Kanpur and the forecast of rain affecting most days of the match.
“To be honest, I don’t know which surface we are going to play on yet,” Nayar said. “But both the pitches look pretty good. Kanpur is often known to have good pitches. I am not sure about the bounce yet. With the conditions and the forecast, it is going to be interesting as to how when we turn up to go in the morning, the conditions are. A lot will depend on that because as you know in Test wicket, conditions can be a huge factor in how the pitch plays.
Nayar concluded with optimism, “So it is too early for us to judge and decide or have any sort of thought process on the pitch or the conditions. But we are hoping we come in tomorrow to a sunny day and not an overcast Kanpur.”