There has been no change in KL Rahul’s wretched form even after his comeback from suspension but India A coach Rahul Dravid is not worried as he has confidence in the talented opener’s quality.
Rahul was suspended by the BCCI for his sexist comments on a TV chat show and the ban was subsequently lifted subject to an inquiry by a court- appointed ombudsman.
The Karantaka opener, who made a comeback to competitive cricket with India A assignment, had scores of 13, 42 and 0 against England Lions in three one-day games.
“He has got a hundred in T20, ODI and Test and not many batsmen have that record. He is a proven performer and I am not too worried about his form,” the India A coach said.
Asked if the purpose of playing senior team players like Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Rahul or Hanuma Vihari was served, the former India captain provided the broader perspective.
While he didn’t take names, Dravid indicated that there are some players that national selectors are looking purely on a short-term basis for the next two months.
It could well be Pant, Rahane and Rahul, who are in the scheme of things as far as World Cup is concerned.
There has been discussions about how India A tours and home series clashing with Ranji Trophy has affected quality of competition at the domestic level but Dravid said it’s only for the betterment of talented players.
“But it’s not easy as we have to balance out the needs of some of these players. We have to develop those players and give them a level and standard that is higher than domestic cricket. If we don’t challenge our players at a level higher than domestic or first-class, how are we going to develop them to play international cricket,” said Dravid.
“Lot of these tours are reciprocal and we have to balance it out, possible try and not clash but when clash happens it’s inevitable,” he further explained.
Dravid also explained how the A team’s tour of New Zealand proved “fruitful”.
“If we want to develop our player, then we need to challenge the players at a higher level,” Dravid said, making his priorities clear.
Dravid, who will be a part of BCCI’s core programme on behavioural and life coaching for young cricketers, feels that a need to broaden the horizon is imperative for young minds. In a nutshell, an alternative career if cricket doesn’t bring the desired results.
“There’s a need to broaden the horizon and we need to look at other options also which gives them certain skills and talent. Even if it’s not necessarily formal education but something that might help them once they finish their cricket. It’s just a thought and let’s see where it leads us,” he signed off.
