KL Rahul's keeping blunders get Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli frustrated; fans joke 'talent hai par latent hai'

Virat Kohli speaks with KL Rahul during the ICC Champions Trophy match between India and New Zealand in Dubai (PTI Photo)

Team India have maintained a 100 percent record at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy and will hope for similar show in the semifinal against Australia, which will be played in Dubai on Tuesday. While the team has bee doing well at both fronts - batting and bowling - wicket-keeping has been an area of concern. KL Rahul, who has been preferred to do the glovework over Rishabh Pant, has not been in his element and has now made too many errors to attract criticism.

In the clash against New Zealand, which India won by 44 runs despite defending a modest 249, Rahul made quite a few errors and senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were not very happy with it. Rahul's errors could have proven costly as he dropped Kane Williamson twice during the New Zealand chase, who capitalised on the lifelines but failed to propel his team to victory.

Watch: Virat Kohli touches Axar Patel's feet after spinner ends Kane Williamson's resistance, moment goes viral

In his 81-run knock off 120 balls, Williamson got his first reprieve when he was batting at 18 off 21. Then Williamson tried to cut Axar Patel by using the depth of the crease but the ball took a thick edge. However, he survived the early scare as Rahul failed to hold onto the edge. The second miss took place in the 35th over bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. This time Williamson went for an inside out as the ball spun away after pitching on the off-stump line. The ball, however, took an edge and hit Rahul's gloves, who once again failed to grab it.

Both instances left Rohit and Kohli frustrated, which was evident in their reactions. Fans also expressed their frustration on social media, with many suggesting Pant to replace Rahul in the knockouts. Here are a few reactions...

Indian spinners had to take 15 wickets to win the match, thanks to KL Rahul.
Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) March 2, 2025

Rishabh pant after seeing KL Rahul Keeping masterclass pic.twitter.com/BERWhcH9q5 Spiderman Pant (@cricwithpant) March 2, 2025

16th drop catch by KL Rahul since the Ind Vs Eng seriesBut don't worry sab change si
() (@its_parvesh_) March 2, 2025

KL RAHUL for you !!!!- Cannot bat in middle overs- Cannot bat when the team collapses - Cannot bat at higher sr when required - Cannot rotate strike-Demoted to 6/7 for all the above reasons.- Fumbles and drops catches in wicket keeping Why is he even playing ? pic.twitter.com/tvFhjKnJtT Naman (@Im_naman__) March 2, 2025

KL Rahul's keeping is like his batting. Talent hai par latent hai
/ tau (@kamleshksingh) March 2, 2025

Rahul will hope for redemption in the clash against Australia if the management decides to stick with him despite the underwhelming show behind the stumps. India head coach Gautam Gambhir had previously made it clear that Rahul is team's first-choice wicketkeeper before the Champions Trophy.

"Ultimately, it is very difficult to talk about individuals. But all I can say is that if he is part of the squad, when time comes, he might get an opportunity. But at the moment, obviously, KL is the No 1 wicketkeeper and he has delivered for us," Gambhir told media persons. "When you've got two wicket keepers in the squad, you can't play both the wicketkeepers with the kind of quality we've got. Hopefully, whenever he (Pant) gets that opportunity, he should be ready for it. That's all I can say at the moment. Yes, KL is the one who's going to start," he added.