"Even if Virat and Rohit are out of form, they will keep contributing" - When Gautam Gambhir slammed KL Rahul during lean patch in 2021

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir launched a scathing attack on wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul during his dismal run of form in 2021. Gambhir was surprised by Rahul's all-or-nothing scores and the inability to contribute when out of form.

The remarks came during a stretch when the stylish batter recorded scores of 0, 1, 0, and 0 in four consecutive innings against Australia and England at the end of 2020 and the start of 2021.

Talking about the extremes in Rahul's form in a conversation on ESPN Cricinfo, Gambhir said (via Hindustan Times):

"It surprises me, when I look at KL Rahul. They are two completely different extremes. When he’s on a roll, he can give you back-to-back hundreds irrespective of T20 format or the 50-over format. But when he just completely looks out of it, there is nothing in the middle. Even if Virat and Rohit are out of form, they will keep contributing. But when you see KL Rahul, either it’s everything or nothing."

He continued:

"That is not what international cricket is all about because You will not always get big scores, you will not always have those big hundreds or a 70 or an 80 in T20 but there needs to be some contribution. That has been the template. Even when he got dropped from the Test side, that was exactly the template. Suddenly he will get a hundred and then suddenly there will be nothing after that."

Rahul has struggled for consistency throughout his international career, especially in the Test format. Despite boasting an impressive defensive technique, the 33-year-old averages a sub-par 33.57 in 58 red-ball outings.

Yet, his white-ball numbers for India remain excellent, with ODI and T20I averages of 49.08 and 37.75 in 85 and 72 matches, respectively.

KL Rahul will be India's most senior batter in upcoming England tour

KL Rahul is coming off another impressive IPL season, scoring 539 runs at an average of almost 54 and a strike rate of 149.72 in 13 matches. His next assignment could be arguably the most important of his 11-year international career.

India will take on England in a five-match away series following the recent retirements of senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Tests. The duo announced their Test retirement last month after a poor run in the long format over the past year.

It makes Rahul India's most senior batter in the lineup in the upcoming Test tour of England. The veteran batter has played nine Tests in England, scoring over 600 runs at an average of 34.11 with two centuries.