Whether KL Rahul is batting too low in India’s batting ODI order has been a question that has crept up often since head coach Gautam Gambhir took over the side in mid-2024. However, the Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter isn’t complaining and is continuing to do a stellar job while at it.
Rahul is being entrusted with the tricky No. 5/6 floating role simply because, well, he is good at it too. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also heaped praise on Rahul’s composure under the pressure of the death-overs of an ODI, which has begun to play tricks on the batters’ with the new rule allowing the use of only one ball post the 34th over.
In a 301-run chase that seemed to fritter with a flurry of wickets against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, Rahul took his time to settle in but eventually quelled the nerves by sealing a four-wicket win for India. He got them across the line with some flair too, smashing the winning six for the sixth time in his career. Only the legendary MS Dhoni has done it on more counts (9) for India in one-dayers.
“When KL Rahul bats, people often ask why he is batting so low. But we need to keep in mind that the rule has now changed because the ball reverses slightly after the 34th over. If the ball doesn’t reverse, it is slow. In those situations, a technically correct batter makes a difference. Other batters were getting slightly troubled in the first ODI but Rahul was well in control,” said Pathan on his YouTube channel.
Rahul has relished a superb run ever since taking over the role intently during the previous ODI World Cup year in 2023. With a near-60 average between the positions, he has emerged among the most dependable players in the slot in world cricket.
It is exemplified further by the stat that India have won all 13 chases that Rahul has remained unbeaten in.
Rahul showed what his approach was when he kept taking singles. It was predicted he would target the 49th over and sealed the game with two fours, followed by a six,” Pathan added.
