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Why Was KL Rahul Excluded From India's Squad For Afghanistan T20Is?

image-lr4gmhecKL Rahul hasn't played a T20I since November 2022 (Twitter)

KL Rahul's deep-felt desire to make a comeback to the T20I squad ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 was put paid to on Sunday (January 7) by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee as they ignored him for the coming home series against Afghanistan. 

Rahul had raised his stocks with a successful tour of South Africa where, as a stand-in captain, he led India to the 2-1 ODI series victory before bouncing back with a bang in Tests via a tremendous hundred in Centurion. 

The selectors, however, will be waiting until the IPL 2024 to assess the strength of Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter's claim of a return to the T20I outfit since there is no vacancy available at the top of the order, where Rahul last batted for India in the shortest format during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. 


Why No KL Rahul In Afghanistan T20Is?

Persist failures and slow starts inside the powerplay had compelled the selectors to move past Rahul from T20Is in the aftermath of the semifinal defeat against England in Adelaide. 

However, the cricketer will be striving to rejuvenate his T20 fortunes by demoting himself in the order and playing as a wicketkeeper-batter for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). 

"Rahul wasn't given the nod for the 3-match T20I series as the selectors fancied other options, both for the opening and middle-order spots," a report in the Indian Express said. 

"Rahul has played most of his T20 International games as an opener, But the emergence of Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal made the competition for the two opening spots tougher."

"With the likes of Kohli and Rohit also in the squad, there was no longer a spot available at the top of the batting order," he added. 

Previously also Rahul managed to resurrect his One-Day International career by transforming into a middle-order asset. The elegant batter hopes a similar path undertaken in T20s would bear him the same fruits.