Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed disappointment with KL Rahul’s underwhelming performance on the first day of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh.
Rahul was dismissed after scoring just 16 runs off 52 balls at a strike rate of 30.77, falling to Bangladesh’s right-arm spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the 43rd over. At that point, India’s score was 144, and Rahul’s dismissal marked the sixth wicket to fall.
Manjrekar, acknowledged why India opted for Rahul in the lineup, citing his experience and previous standout performances, such as a century in South Africa and an 80 in England.
However, he highlighted the inconsistency in Rahul’s Test career, describing him as a player who can produce brilliant innings but follows it with multiple underwhelming performances. He remarked that Rahul’s batting on the day seemed “almost without purpose.”
Manjrekar further criticized Rahul’s temperament, calling it a recurring issue across his 50-Test career. He pointed out that despite Rahul having some exceptional innings, his overall average of 34 in Test cricket, even in challenging conditions, reflects a mental inconsistency. “That is more of a temperamental problem with KL Rahul…which we got a look at today as well,” Manjrekar commented.
