With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from the longer format of the game, KL Rahul, as the most experienced batter on the side, has the responsibility to deliver his promised potential at the top of the order. Despite having all the shots in the book and water-tight defensive technique, Rahul, after 61 Test matches, averages 35.26 and has scored 3632 runs in his career. However, in the ongoing series against England, Rahul has looked good. He has already scored two hundreds in three Test matches and has a chance to make the series his own.
Former Indian Head Coach Ravi Shastri says Rahul’s potential will be converted into runs. “I think there was not one person in the world who denied his potential and said that he [Rahul] was not talented. What annoyed people was that, with that kind of talent, he was not delivering. And in this series, you’re seeing the best of Rahul,” Shastri said on the ICC Podcast. “What I am seeing is a slight adjustment he’s made with his front foot, in his stance, and while defending. It just opened up a bit, which allows his back to come through cleanly. Even when he’s hitting it towards mid-wicket, it’s the full face of the blade,” he said.
“He is sound technically, he has been as good as anyone. Especially, it’s not moved a lot in the series, but when it’s moved, he has had the game to look after that movement,” Shastri observed. “He’s at his prime. He has got to make these next three, four years count,” he said.
Rahul, because of the current circumstances in Indian cricket, will have a run as an opener in Indian conditions, which are relatively kinder to opening batters compared to conditions in England or Australia. “And I see him getting a lot of hundreds because he’s playing a lot of cricket in India as well. So whatever that average is, he should be close to 50,” Shastri predicted.
