Gautam Gambhir, a former Indian batter, defended the under-appreciated opener after KL Rahul’s game-winning half-century against Bangladesh and claimed that “he was always in form.” KL Rahul made a comeback in India vs. Bangladesh game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after battling with a streak of single-digit scores throughout the competition. The skillful willow player turned the tide with a beautiful 30-ball 51 that let the team to regain its composure. Rahul’s knock was embellished with excellent strokes that exhibited his poise and composure. KL Rahul’s half-century coming in the nick of time was a portent of good things to come because there had been a lot of speculation about whether he would ever find his form throughout the World Cup.
Speaking exclusively on the Star Sports program “Cricket Live,” Gambhir dismissed any claims that KL Rahul was out of form and that his teammates should support him in the top order. “When he got a fifty against Australia in Brisbane (in the warm-up match), everyone was going crazy. He is probably going to light up this World Cup. A bad inning does not make you a bad player, neither does it make you a great player. So, you probably need to be more balanced. You got to give them time and then that one shot-over point probably changed everything. He is back in form, and he was always in form,” Gambhir said.
“Yes, there are times when you want to contribute, you know that this is a World Cup and the entire world is looking at you. And if you have not had the best of starts, it does not mean you are a bad player. If India has to win the World Cup, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, these three have to deliver along with Hardik Pandya, who is an X-factor. So, yes, he is back in form and hopefully, he can continue this form and be as aggressive as he can be, because no one can stop him, the way he wants to play, only he can stop him,” he added.
