T20 World Cup 2022: Head coach Rahul Dravid said he is not worried about KL Rahul’s lean patch and that the vice-captain has the backing of the tea m management in Australia. Rahul is yet to go past single digits in the tournament.

KL Rahul has not been able to get going at the top in T20 World Cup 2022 (AP Photo)

By India Today Web Desk: India head coach Rahul Dravid dismissed concerns around KL Rahul’s batting form, saying the team management completely back the vice-captain who is going through a lean patch in T20 World Cup 2022. Dravid said the leadership group, including captain Rohit Sharma, has shown full faith in Rahul.

Speaking to the press on the eve of the Super 12 match against Bangladesh in Adelaide, Rahul Dravid said he is quite happy with the way KL Rahul has been hitting it at the nets and that he is hopeful of the opener finding form in the coming games.

India, who lost to South Africa in Perth on Sunday, will be looking to bounce back against Bangladesh in their 12th meeting in T20I cricket.

KL Rahul, who is yet to go past the single-digit score, is heading into the match with 22 runs in 3 matches and questions have been asked about his place in the side with the likes of Rishabh Pant and Deepak Hooda warming the benches. However, Dravid said the team management is extremely confident about Rahul’s ability and his destructive nature when he gets going.

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“No, not at all (his technique, and mindset bothering you?). He is a fantastic player, he has got a proven track record. He is batting superbly (at the nets). And these things can happen. In a T20 game, it’s been tough. It’s not been easy for top-order batters in this T20 World Cup. The ball has been doing a bit,” Dravid told the press on Tuesday.

“I thought he was superb in the practice game against Australia, against the likes of Mitchell Starc and Patrick Cummins and it was a pretty good attack and he batted superbly on that day. He is actually playing really well, I just hope it all clicks together in the next couple of games. We all know his quality, we all know his ability. He is really suited to these kinds of conditions, these kinds of pitches. He has got a good all-round game, good backfoot game, which is very essential in these conditions. We are pretty happy with the way he is hitting it,” he added.

Stressing that Rahul can afford to take time to get going in Australian conditions where the Bukkry.com”>New ball has done a bit, Dravid said there are no concerns about the opener’s approach in the tournament.

“In these conditions, we are able to afford him that time. We have no concerns about him, we completely back him. When he gets going, I know the impact this guy can make,” he added.

CREDIT TO ROHIT SHARMA

Furthermore, Rahul Dravid heaped praise on Rohit Sharma, saying the captain has been fantastic with the way he has communicated with the World Cup-bound players and the clarity he has offered them.

Dravid said Rahul was always clear that he would be part of the T20 World Cup squad and the team management gave him the sense of security both in actions and in words.

“Yeah, we have a lot of conversations with our players. It’s hard to get into exact details. Rest assured, I think both in words and in action, over the last year, he knows he has our support. He knew that.

“There has been a lot of clarity about what this side was going to be and we haven’t wavered from that. Yes, you might have seen different players because of the amount of cricket we play. He has had phases where he has unfortunately been injured. With all of our players, that’s really the great thing about Rohit that he has shown them confidence and belief,” Dravid added.