KL Rahul might be the incumbent wicketkeeper for India in ODIs and in the ongoing Champions Trophy, but the 32-year-old admitted that he inevitably cannot shut down fears of being replaced in the side by Rishabh Pant.

At the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last year, Pant made his comeback from injury and played the entire tournament, while Rahul wasn’t even in the squad. Pant then made his comeback in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in August where, incidentally, he took the place of Rahul in the third game with the series on the line. 

Rahul has since leapfrogged Pant in the pecking order but the right-hander admitted that he can never rule out the possibility of the management making a tactical call and replacing him with the left-hander.

“There is – I won’t lie,” Rahul said today, when asked if he always has the feeling that Pant is breathing down his neck.

“I mean, he’s obviously a very, very talented player and he’s shown all of us what he can do and how aggressive and how quickly he can change the game. So yes, there’s always the temptation for the team as well, to either play him or play me.

“But yeah, for me, I just if I’m given the opportunity, I try and see what I can do best. I am not trying to compete with Rishabh or I am not trying to play like him. Likewise, when he gets his opportunities, I am sure he is not going to try to play like anybody else. 

“He is picked on the basis of how he can play and what he can provide for the team and the same applies to me. So, I try and do what I do best and try and stick to my game.”

Rahul had a tough start in ODIs under Gautam Gambhir, but has picked up pace in the last couple of games. He hit 40 (29) in the third ODI against England and then followed it up with an unbeaten 41 in a tight chase against Bangladesh in India’s first game of this Champions Trophy.