Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel has made a bold prediction for India's second Test match against New Zealand at Pune. Despite Sarfaraz Khan's stunning century in the first Test at Bengaluru, Patel believes that KL Rahul will be preferred over Sarfaraz for the upcoming match.

Sarfaraz made a remarkable impact in the first Test when he stepped in for Shubman Gill, who had to sit out due to a stiff neck. The 26-year-old played a pivotal role, scoring 150 off 195 balls and helping India avoid an innings defeat. His performance drew widespread praise for delivering under pressure, further highlighting his prowess in international cricket.

However, Parthiv Patel, while speaking on Colors Cineplex, suggested that the Indian team management is likely to back KL Rahul for the second Test despite Sarfaraz's outstanding performance. Patel pointed out that the team has consistently supported Rahul, and he expects that to continue.

"The question will be whether Sarfaraz Khan will get to play or they will go with KL Rahul. I will still play KL Rahul, the way the team has shown faith in him. I am thinking like that based on how the team's thinking has been," Parthiv stated.

Parthiv also mentioned that KL Rahul could have been slotted at No. 3 in the first Test when Shubman Gill was ruled out, but the management chose to retain Rahul in the middle order while promoting Virat Kohli.

"If you wanted, you could have made Rahul bat at No. 3 in this Test match but you said that you didn't want to change his position. Nothing to take from Sarfaraz's knock, he made 150 runs for sure, but it's the same situation as Mohammed Siraj or Akash Deep. There will definitely be pressure on KL Rahul but I would still play him," Parthiv added