IND vs AUS 2023: This is why he has been removed as the vice-captain – Harbhajan Singh feels KL Rahul will be dropped from third Test

India’s veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh believes KL Rahul will be dropped from the third Test match against Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series. Rahul has returned with scores of 20, 17, and 1 in the three innings he has played in the ongoing series.

With an in-form Shubman Gill waiting in the wings, the pressure to perform well is piling up on Rahul. The Indian opener has scored 2642 runs in 47 Test matches at a below-average of 33.44. Furthermore, he hasn’t been able to deliver the goods in the last few Test innings.

Meanwhile, India’s selection committee picked the same squad for the remainder of two Test matches but the only change was the fact that Rahul was dropped as the vice-captain of the team.

Speaking to Sports Tak, Harbhajan Singh said: “I think KL Rahul is not going to get a chance now. This is why he has been removed as the vice-captain. Shubman Gill has been in very good form and he was like a superhero in ODIs and T20Is. I believe he is going to replace Rahul in the team.”

The Turbanator feels a short break will do a world of good for KL Rahul, who has looked at sea in the recent past. Rahul was also unfortunate in his dismissal in the second innings of the second Test match as the ball ricocheted off Peter Handscomb’s shinpad to ballon to Alex Carey.

“The way KL Rahul got out shows that luck is not on his side,” he added. “He is a quality player and a fantastic batter. I believe that his numbers could have been a lot better, considering how skilful he is. I see him as one of the batters in world cricket. A short break will benefit him a lot.”

Rahul has amassed 1214 runs in the last 48 Test innings since 2018 at a below-par average of 25.82. However, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma have backed KL Rahul despite his flop show in the Delhi Test match.

The third Test match will be played at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore from March 1.