Gautam Gambhir Slams KL Rahul's Critics, Says 'Ex-Cricketers Need Some Masala'

Star batter KL Rahul will be leading franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

In the last couple of months, Rahul has been facing immense criticism from fans and cricket pundits.

Source : PTI

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, 'under-fire' KL Rahul's mentor at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has come out in defence of the star middle-order batter. In the last couple of months, Rahul has been facing immense criticism from fans and cricket pundits, especially from ex-India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, due to his prolonged lean patch in international cricket. Rahul's critics questioned his place in national squad and even accused BCCI of favoritism.

KL Rahul was removed as India's vice-captain in Tests. He was included in India's squad for 1st two Tests against Australia but seeing his never-ending struggle for runs, the selectors brought in talented youngster Shubman Gill as his replacement.

When KL Rahul's LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir was asked if Rahul will be 'under pressure' at the start of IPL 2023, he brushed aside the talks and even hit back at critics for questioning his batting skills. KL Rahul will be leading franchise  Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

"As far as KL Rahul is concerned, I don't think he is under any kind of pressure. International cricket and the IPL are different from each other. If you don't perform well in international cricket despite scoring 1,000 runs in the IPL, you will still have to deal with criticism. And that's international cricket for you. After all, only 15 players get a chance to play for India. In the IPL, more than 150 players get selected. Thus, you should not compare these two (the IPL and international cricket)." Gambhir told Sports Tak.

"How Rahul has fared in the IPL, he has 4-5 centuries in the tournament. And you are talking about a player who has already slammed 4-5 centuries. Even last season, he scored a century against the Mumbai Indians. We have so many people here. Sometimes ex-cricketers need some masala to remain active. So that's why you criticize people. According to me, the kind of player KL is, he won't be under any kind of pressure. You can't win a tournament with just one player. The 25 players who are inside the dressing room help you win the tournament," Gambhir concluded.