In the absence of Rishabh Pant who is continuing recovery from injuries he suffered after a car crash in December 2022, Indian have tried different wicketkeepers including KL Rahul, KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan across formats.
Among the trio, Rahul has emerged as the most viable options considering the quality he brings with the bat as well.
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With Pant nearing full fitness, he will likely return to the Test team as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper considering his excellent record.
So where does that leave Rahul?
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Rahul is currently locked in a battle with Shreyas Iyer for the spot of a specialist middle-order batter since a fit Pant will definitely slot back into the Test XI.
“I think he’s (KL Rahul) a guy who cares about every format,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports. “You know how he’s built to value every opportunity that he gets after he got that hundred. You know, I am looking two years from now and I thought he’s really competing with Shreyas Iyer for a batting position in the middle order because the moment Rishabh Pant is fit, he becomes your keeper-batter, and there’s great quality to Rishabh Pant batting and keeping as well.”
Rahul has been in top form since making a successful return from a thigh injury last year. He marked his competitive return with a century against Pakistan in the Asia Cup last year and extended his form into the ODI World Cup as well.
And then on the South Africa tour, he started the Test series with a memorable century to help India to a decent total in Centurion.
“That innings was just incredible (century in first Test). Unfortunately, you know, Dean Elgar got a 180 (185), they (South Africa) got 400 because we at the time thought that 260 was gonna be enough. And that was the moment if India could have latched onto, there would have been a series win in South Africa,” he added.
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