3 reasons why India must pick KL Rahul for the T20I series vs Afghanistan

KL Rahul, speaking to Irfan Pathan and Sunil Gavaskar in an interview on Star Sports soon after the second Test between South Africa and India came to an end on Thursday, made it clear how important it is for him to keep going and push his limits.

In the interview, Rahul also reaffirmed the notion that he is ready to play in any format for India at any time if he is asked to do so.

The elegant wicket-keeper batter, who stroked a stylish century in the first Test in Centurion, seemed proud of the way he made his comeback having had his fair share of ups and downs in his career so far.

India are due to host Afghanistan for a T20 series starting January 11, and if Rahul's comments are anything to go by, the Men in Blue will be served well by selecting him for it and allowing him to prove himself in the shortest format of the game.

In this listicle, we bring to you three reasons why India must pick KL Rahul for the forthcoming T20I series:

#1. He will give India solidity in the middle-order

There is no doubt that Rahul will give a lot of solidity in the middle-order.

It is a known fact that India have a lot of youngsters in their lineup for T20Is, and adding a dash of experience with Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav will allow the Men in Blue to have a healthy mix of the two.

However, the latter has an ankle injury and is expected to be out for a month. With Rahul in the mix, the likes of Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh, among others, will be able to play with much more freedom while taking responsibility.

#2. He will add experience on the field

KL Rahul is an experienced hand by now.

Rahul, with the gloves on behind the wickets, will add a lot of experience to the Indian side on the field.

Even if he chooses not to squat behind the wickets and allows either Jitesh Sharma or Ishan Kishan to take the gloves, his experience will come in handy on the field.

Rahul is known to have a calm head and this allows him to make decisions without too much of fuss.

His gentle demeanour also enables him to take up challenging tasks with the right mindset. Rahul has a wealth of experience, and this will aid the Men in Blue a lot on the field.

#3. He can be touted as captain if Pandya is not playing

Hardik Pandya has not yet recovered from the injury he suffered during the World Cup.

Hardik Pandya, who is the vice-captain of India in limited-overs cricket, was touted to lead the side in the Afghanistan series if Rohit Sharma is given some time off and allowed to prepare for the Test series against England.

However, Pandya will most probably miss out owing to the injury that he suffered during the World Cup, and this means that Rahul can be touted as the captain of the side in this format.

Even if someone else is asked to lead India in this series, Rahul can very well be elevated to the vice-captain's role and be a part of the think-tank. He has enough experience to contribute to the side and help the team prepare to win the series.