Sourav Ganguly wants selectors to back Rahane, KL Rahul

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly recently expressed his opinion on the Indian team combinations. He noted that the selectors of the national side and the team management must show faith in relatively senior batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul. Both Rahane and Rahul have been ignored in the recent fixtures of the national side.

There was a time when both these batsmen were seen as the integral part of the Indian batting lineup. However, with the phase shift by the selectors, who now opt to field the younger lot of players, both Rahane and KL Rahul have found themselves being on the wrong side of the cliff. KL Rahul featured in the Test series against Sri Lanka recently.

However, he only played two Tests. In the limited overs, he has lost his position ever since Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have struck form yet again. On the other hand, Rahane has had troubled times with the bat in the recent times. He aggregated only 17 runs in 5 Test innings against Sri Lanka. Coming to the ODI series, Shreyas Iyer found a place in the playing eleven in the Dharamsala ODI ahead of him.

Need more games before the World Cup

Skipper Rohit Sharma later justified the exclusion of Rahane quoting him as a back up opener in the limited overs. However, Sourav Ganguly has different opinions. He feels that the selectors should back Rahane and KL Rahul whilst keeping the 2019 World Cup in their mind.

“If you are looking at the World Cup 2019, I would want the selectors and team management to back Rahane and Rahul. They have proved themselves in the past and I think they will make the middle-order more productive. I want the selectors to allow Rahane and Rahul 25-30 ODI games leading up to the World Cup. They will get used to those positions,” quoted Sourav Ganguly.