'Imagine the insecurity he must be feeling'- Gautam Gambhir backs KL Rahul to open in Australia T20Is

Former Indian opener  Gautam Gambhir has backed KL Rahul to open the innings for India in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia starting Tuesday, September 20. Gambhir has made these remarks despite Rahul struggling to find form after returning to international cricket last month following a short hiatus due to a groin injury. 

At the same time, Gambhir has also suggested that since Virat Kohli scored a blistering 61-ball 122 against Afghanistan in India's Asia Cup 2022 Super Four encounter, it is not advisable for the batting megastar to continue opening the innings as Rahul is the right person for the job.

You know what happens in India?: Gautam Gambhir

"You know what happens in India? The moment someone starts doing very well, for example, when Virat Kohli scored a hundred in the last game, we all start forgetting what Rahul and Rohit have done over a long period of time," Gambhir said on Star Sports during a virtual press conference ahead of India's three-match T20I series against Australia.

"When you talk about Kohli opening the batting, imagine what happens to KL Rahul... Imagine the amount of insecurity he (Rahul) must be feeling. Imagine if he gets a low score in the first game, there will be another debate on whether Kohli should open in the next game", he added.

"Imagine KL Rahul going into the World Cup thinking, 'what if I don't score runs against Pakistan? What if I get replaced by Virat Kohli?' You don't want that. We should start thinking about how India can flourish, rather than certain individuals," the two-time World Cup winner further added.

KL Rahul who finished as the second-highest run-getter in IPL 2022 captaining the new entrants Lucknow Super Giants was ruled out the home T20I series against South Africa at home due to a groin injury for which he underwent a successful surgery in Germany. 

While he made a comeback in the last month's away series against Zimbabwe, his performances were not up to the mark. In fact, the Karnataka cricketer also blew hot and cold in the Asia Cup where he scored 132 runs from five innings averaging 26.40 including a half-century.