KL Rahul set to be India's permanent opener in Tests? Dinesh Karthik demands

With the campaign India is staging down under, it is easy to pin point the top-performers from the team. Until Ravindra Jadeja entered the mix, KL Rahul was pretty much the only one looking in control of his game with the bat against the Aussies. Promoted to open in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, KL Rahul has paid off the decision and the trust showed in him by the management. Voicing his opinion for the batter, former wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik matched the sentiments of the Indian fans as he praised Rahul.

Dinesh Karthik calls for better treatment of KL Rahul by the Indian management

As Rohit Sharma missed the opening BGT Test due to the birth of his second child, KL Rahul earned a chance to open the Indian innings at Perth. The batter was swift to mark the spot as his own, notching a record-breaking 201-runpartnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the match that India won by 295 runs. Three matches into the tournament, when most of the Indian batters have lost or failed to regain their form, KL Rahul is the only working part in the batting order.

With his gritty showing in the series, KL Rahul is getting his due as the batter with fans hailing the player. Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has joined the league of all those praising the batter. The former Indian player called on the team management to offer KL Rahul sustained support as an opening batter. Highlighting Rahul’s often-overlooked contributions, especially in overseas conditions, Karthik emphasized the need for selectors to avoid short-term memory when assessing players' performances.

“I believe in him. We have the opener that India wants, and I hope that they back him. In one year’s time, if there is a series where he has a couple of low scores, I hope people don’t have a very short memory. They need to value what he is doing today, and that matters a lot," Karthik said.

Rahul's noteworthy performance in the opening Test led to Rohit Sharma demoting himself to the middle-order upon his return.  Even with Rohit Sharma’s return for the second Test in Adelaide, Rahul retained his role at the top, while Rohit shifted to No. 6 in the batting lineup. However, Rohit Sharma has struggled to adapt to the lower middle order, whereas Rahul has continued to thrive. His determined 84 in the first innings of the third Test in Brisbane was pivotal in saving the match for India.

“People tend to forget that a lot of Test cricketers are judged on what they do away, and he’s been as good as anyone who’s ever played for the country in some period of time," Karthik added about Rahul.

With 235 runs in six innings at an average of 47, KL Rahul currently leads the scoring charts for India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, emerging as one of the counted prospects the team relies on in the tournament along with vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah.