IND vs BAN: "We Completely Back Him, We Have No Concerns"- Rahul Dravid Supports Struggling KL Rahul

KL Rahul, a right-handed batsman, has only scored 22 runs in three games so far in the 2017 T20 World Cup. It is not surprising that the biggest concerns are with KL Rahul’s form going into the match against Bangladesh that is scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Adelaide Oval.

The batter recorded scores of 4, 9, and 9 in the three matches that he has played so far in the tournament.

India is still a strong semifinal candidate, but to prevent any setbacks, they must win their final two games. It’s important that they win their upcoming game against Bangladesh. The outcome might significantly affect India’s prospects of moving on to the tournament’s next round.

It Has Not Been Easy For Top-order Batters: Rahul Dravid

In a news conference on Tuesday, head coach Rahul Dravid discussed KL Rahul’s performance and the kinds of conversations he has been having with the batter. 

“I think he is a fantastic player, he has a proven track record. I think he has been batting superbly. These things can happen in T20Is, it has not been that easy for top-order batters.

This tournament has been challenging, I think he was brilliant in the practice games against the likes of Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc. He got 60 or 70. I am hoping that it all clicks together in the next few games,” said Dravid. 

“We know his quality and ability, he is very well suited for these conditions. He has got a good all-round game and he has a very good backfoot game which is required in these conditions. We are happy with the way he has been hitting it,” he added. 

KL Rahul Knows He Has Our Support: Rahul Dravid

When questioned about the kinds of discussions he has been having with KL Rahul, Dravid responded as follows: 

“We have a lot of conversations with players, it is hard to reveal exact details. Rest assured, both in words and in action, over the last year, he knows he has our support.

There has been a lot of clarity on what our side is going to be in this tournament and we have not wavered from that. We play a lot of cricket, you might see different players playing in different situations.” 

“There have been injuries and including him, he has had phases where he has been injured. I think it has been great with captain Rohit Sharma that he has shown faith and belief in players,” he added. 

We Do Not Focus What Is Being Said On The Outside: Rahul Dravid

The head coach continued by saying the following about Rahul: “We do not focus on what is being said on the outside. We have certain ideas in mind and we have belief in players. We understand people will go through ups and downs. Everyone has our backing and they are here, because we know they have quality.” 

“In these conditions, we can afford him a little bit of time. As I said, we completely back him, we have no concerns. We know that when he gets going, I know the impact he can make,” he added. 

Also Read: IND vs BAN: Sunil Gavaskar Insists That Mental Conditioning Coach Needs To Talk To KL Rahul