Curious case of KL Rahul - Blessed with talent, but lacks perseverance at international level


image-lecl9hp8KL Rahul in action [Associated Press]

For those who follow Indian cricket vigorously, KL Rahul can be a curious case study. Despite oozing with raw talent and the zeal to succeed, KL Rahul has not reached the pinnacle which he was expected to reach.

It is like a mathematical problem, trying to solve why the Indian vice-captain is yet to fully justify his talent at the big stage, against the best of oppositions.

Some say he has a technical batting flaw which the opponents utilise to perfection. Some say KL has got complacent after becoming the permanent deputy to Rohit Sharma. But what is the exact reason for his topsy-turvy international career? Rahul's saga of failures has allowed his critics to come out of their shell and rightly so. Scores of 20, 17, and 1 don't really reflect how under-confident KL Rahul is at the moment. He is scared of getting out, he is scared of failures and that is his biggest enemy at the moment.

It's all in his head. Technical flaws can be corrected. But how do you correct the mental pressure that one takes? Once Harbhajan Singh said - "If you hear the outside noise, and it affects you, then there is something wrong with you."

Arguably one of the most gifted players in the Indian setup, KL lacks the mental zeal to succeed at the biggest stage. Or he isn't able to lit up the fume from inside.

Cricket is not just a game of the physical aspect, it is a game where those who are mentally strong are said to be cut from a different cloth. For someone who has Test hundreds in Australia, England, and South Africa - three of the toughest places for an Asian side, KL Rahul still lacks the cutting edge to go out there and perform against the best in the business. 

He averages a mere 33.44 in 47 Test matches, and questions have been repeatedly asked about his place in the Indian side.

When you have someone like a Rahul Dravid in your dressing room, things should be a cakewalk for you. However, it has been the opposite for the Bengaluru born.

Maybe time has come for KL to approach the senior Rahul for some batting advice. Remember when England visited India in 2012, and Kevin Pietersen wrote an e-mail to Rahul Dravid on how to counter spin in India? Rahul Dravid, like a true gentleman, replied on the same e-mail and the rest is history. KP performed exceedingly well and England won the series 2-1.

In 2014, India toured England for a four-match Test series. A certain Virat Kohli was at his imperial best before the series, but was brought down to earth by the maestro - Jimmy Anderson. Kohli averaged just above 13 and the youngster was shown the mirror, that time has come to keep the ego aside and talk to your senior pros.

He did just that. Kohli had a lengthy conversation with his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, and the King rose from the Ashes, slamming four hundreds in the series against Australia.

Time has come for KL Rahul to up his ante. Or else, someone else should take his place. No matter how talented you are, there is no value for talent if failure becomes bread and butter stuff.