"Competing with Shreyas Iyer for a batting position in the middle order" - Sanjay Manjrekar on KL Rahul's Test spot with Rishabh Pant's return

Sanjay Manjrekar believes it could be a battle between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer for one middle-order spot in India's Test side once Rishabh Pant returns from his injury.

Pant was arguably India's best match-winner in Tests before his injury due to a tragic road accident in December 2022.

Although Rahul is the more seasoned campaigner in red-ball cricket for India, Iyer has been more consistent in the format. The former averages 33.59 in 49 Tests with eight centuries, while Iyer averages 39.27 in 12 games but has only a lone century to his name.

Speaking to Star Sports after the second India-South Africa Test in Cape Town, Manjrekar praised Rahul for valuing each opportunity. However, the former cricketer feels Rahul could be in a battle with Iyer for a middle-order spot.

"I think he's [KL Rahul] a guy who cares about every format," Manjrekar said. "You know how he's built to value every opportunity that he gets after he got that 100.

"You know, I am looking two years from now and I thought he's really competing with Shreyas Iyer for a batting position in the middle order because the moment Rishabh Pant is fit, he becomes your keeper batter, and there's great quality to Rishabh Pant batting and keeping as well."

Rishabh Pant is touted to return to competitive cricket during IPL 2024. It leaves the upcoming five-match home Test series against England as a potential shootout between Rahul and Iyer.

Meanwhile, Team India completed a memorable seven-wicket win in the second Test in Cape Town to walk away with the series drawn at one apiece.

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"That innings was just incredible" - Sanjay Manjrekar on KL Rahul's opening Test century

KL Rahul scored a breathtaking century in the opening Test in Centurion.

Sanjay Manjrekar praised KL Rahul for his sparkling century in the opening Test against South Africa in Centurion. Despite the knock of 101 on a tricky Day 1 pitch going in vain, the former batter felt that was the moment India needed to capitalize on to win the series.

Coming in at 92/4, the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter scored 101 off 137 deliveries to lead India to a competitive 245 on the board.

"That innings was just incredible (First Test hundred)," Manjrekar continued. "Unfortunately, you know, Dean Elgar got a 180, they got 400 because we at the time thought that 260 was gonna be enough. And that was the moment if India could have latched onto, there would have been a series win in South Africa."

Unfortunately for the visitors, a pedestrian bowling performance and a Dean Elgar masterclass left their dreams of winning a maiden Test series in South Africa shattered.

India suffered an innings and 32 runs defeat in the game to fall 0-1 behind in the two-match Test series. But they bounced back in the next game to end the two-match series 1-1