“It’s a green signal that the player can be dropped” - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul being removed as vice-captain

Aakash Chopra reckons that the BCCI selection committee’s decision to remove KL Rahul as vice-captain for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia is a ‘green signal’ that the player can be dropped.

Rahul has been India’s designated vice-captain since Rohit Sharma took over as full-time captain. However, he has struggled with form for an elongated period of time, as a result of which his place in the starting XI has come under the scanner.

The 30-year-old registered scores of 20, 17, and one in the first two Tests against Australia, looking completely out of sorts. He earlier led the team in the two-match Test series in Bangladesh in Rohit’s absence and managed a highest score of 23 in four innings.

Sharing his views on the decision to strip Rahul of vice-captaincy for the remaining two Tests against Australia, Chopra opined on his YouTube channel:

“KL Rahul has been removed from the post of vice-captain. It’s a green signal that the player can be dropped. It’s not that vice-captains have not been dropped. I remember Ajinkya Rahane was dropped in South Africa when he was the vice-captain during Virat Kohli’s tenure as leader."

He added:

“It’s not like Rahul could not have been dropped earlier, but both Rohit and Rahul Dravid had given statements that they would back Rahul.”

According to Chopra, Rohit might be empathizing with the under-fire cricketer because he himself has been through such phases during his international career. The former India opener elaborated:

“Around 2012, it seemed that Rohit Sharma might not find a place in the one-day team. After 30-odd innings, he was averaging under 30 I think. But the team invested in him and pushed him to open. The rest is history."

He added:

“Even in Test matches, where Rohit’s career seemed at the crossroads, the team management decided to open with him, ahead of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyank Panchal, who were scoring heavily in domestic cricket. The decision worked wonders.”

While Rahul has struggled for fluency and runs, Rohit scored a sublime hundred in the Nagpur Test and contributed 32 and 31 in Delhi.

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“Shubman Gill coming in for Rahul” - Aakash Chopra predicts only one change in India’s playing XI

With India having gone 2-0 up in the Test series, they will look to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with another triumph in Indore in the third match, starting March 1. Previewing the match, Chopra predicted only one change in the Indian playing XI. He commented:

“I see only one change happening - Shubman Gill coming in for Rahul. He is in red hot form. Since he is in such great form, every time Rahul (fails), people feel that injustice is being done to Gill. Rest of the team should be the same.”

The remaining two Tests are also significant for India as they need to win at least one of their games to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.