IND vs NZ: KL Rahul likely to be Axed amid Shubman Gill return? India coach gives Update

KL Rahul has been modest at best in his recent outings in Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

The pressure is mounting on Rahul as Shubman Gill is expected to return and Sarfaraz Khan's outstanding form cannot be ignored. The Karnataka-born batter has struggled in the three Test matches India has played on home turf.

He scored just 38 runs across two innings against Bangladesh in the first Test, and then scored a decent 68 runs in the second Test. But the form faltered against New Zealand in Bengaluru, where Rahul could only accumulate 12 runs across two innings. Amid this, there have been calls for his axe from the Indian team, which looks inevitable ahead of the 2nd Test in Pune.

Ahead of that, India's assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate has given a stern warning to Rahul, indicating that his place in the team is in jeopardy.

"There's a fight for the spot. Sarfaraz was brilliant. I went to KL after the last game and asked how many balls you missed and there were none. He's in good space but we'll have to fit in seven there. So yes there's competition," Ten Doeschate said in the pre-match press conference.

Amidst this backdrop, Shubman Gill is tipped for a comeback in the Pune Test after missing the Bengaluru match due to a stiff neck. The Indian assistant coach also confirmed that Gill is fit for the Pune Test and is likely to be part of the playing XI.

KL Rahul's form has been under scrutiny for a long time, especially in the Test format. He has managed only 4 fifty-plus scores in 21 innings across the last three years, which epitomizes the lack of form.

After the dismal defeat against the Kiwis at the Garden City, India would be desperate to rally back and restore parity in the series in Pune. After the collective failure in batting in the first innings, India came back strongly in the second, but Rahul was ineffective yet again, which kind of looks enough for his omission from the upcoming match.