Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly once warned KL Rahul of 'flak' in India if he could not contribute well enough with the willow. Ganguly felt it would become difficult for the opener to avoid scathing criticism for his protracted poor run because of the enormous expectations attached with the job, especially when past cricketers have set high standards. 

Stripped of vice captaincy, Rahul hasn’t crossed the 25-run mark in his last 10 Test knocks. An average of less than 35 in 47 Tests isn’t an actual realisation of his real potential.