Indian batters with least averages since 2021: KL Rahul is not the only culprit

A lot has been spoken. Even former Indian cricketers like Venkatesh Prasad and Aakash Chopra got into Twitter fights on this topic. Should BCCI and Indian cricket team management give more chances to KL Rahul in test cricket? Irrespective of your answer, KL Rahul has been a culprit in having one of the least averages since 2021. But he is not the only culprit. Below we have mentioned five Indian batters with least averages since 2021.

Indian batters with least averages since 2021 (1-6 batting position)

#1 Ajinkya Rahane | 20.25

Rahane has found it tough to score in the last two or three years. Although he has always come up with a few fighting innings here in there, it wasn't enough for him to keep him in the Indian cricket team's dressing room.

Since 2021, the Indian middle order better scored only 547 runs in the 27 innings he has batted. In that time, Rahane managed to go past fifty 4 times only while 67 was his highest score. In addition, Rahane was sent back to the dressing room without even troubling the scorers three times.

Ajinkya Rahane averages 20.25 in the last two years and everyone can sense why he was left out of the test team.

#2 Virat Kohli | 27.40

Even a great player like Virat Kohli has found it hard to score since the pink ball test in India against Bangladesh. The former Indian captain has played 33 innings since the start of 2021 and scored only 877 runs at an average of 27.40.

Astonishingly, Virat went past fifty 5 times while getting out on duck four times in that period. During this period, Kohli had to step down from the captaincy as well and surely his lack of runs was one of the reasons for that.

Although there hasn't been any question raised about Kohli's presence in the team, if the drought of scores keeps continuing, there will be a question somewhere around the corner.

Read Also: Virat Kohli and big tournaments: Is he really a failure?

#3 Shubman Gill | 29.81

Even though this is only the start of a great career, Shubman Gill's start in test cricket has not been that good. Yes, he was a part of the heroics in Gabba, but he wasn't able to cement his place at the top of the order.

Since 2021, Gill has played 23 innings in test cricket and scored 656 runs at an average of 29.81. In that period, he managed to score a century against Bangladesh in Chattogram and went past 50s four times.

However, the last two months have been great for Gill, it will be interesting to see if team management gives him a go at the top of the order in test cricket.

Read Also: Shubman Gill is named ICC Men's Player of the month for January 2023

#4 KL Rahul | 30.28

Admitting that the topic started just because of him, KL Rahul comes at number four on the list of Indian batters with the least batting averages since 2021 (batting position being 1-6).

KL Rahul has played 21 innings in test cricket since the start of 2021. In that time he was able to score 636 runs with a batting average of 30.28.

He is the only one with more than one 100 on this list. Rahul scored two centuries (one against England and one against South Africa) and two 50s in those 21 innings while getting out for a duck only once. After Shubman Gill's great run in white ball cricket, many experts thought it was time for the team management to drop KL Rahul to give Gill a chance.

Although Rahul was dropped from the vice-captaincy role, coach Rahul and company want to back him as long they can.

Read Also: Most Runs In a Border Gavaskar Trophy Series

#5 Cheteshwar Pujara | 31.91

Mr. dependable Cheteshwar Pujara also found it hard to score runs in the last two years. Though he has been playing a lot of balls and was able to tire opponent bowlers, ultimately he fell to convert those into big scores. Thus, he comes at number 5 on our list of Indian batters with the least averages since 2021.

Pujara played 39 innings (most by any Indian batter from 1-6 since 2021) and managed to score 1149 runs in that period. Pujara averages 31.91 and has faced as many as 2992 deliveries from opponent bowlers.

In the last 21 matches, Pujara scored only one century (against Bangladesh) but went past fifty 9 times, which is the most by any Indian better batting from 1-6 in the batting order.

Since 2021, Rishabh Pant (51.00) and Rohit Sharma (47.16) averaged more than any Indian better batting from 1 to 6 in the batting order in test cricket.

Note: Stats are up to date till 24/02/2023