India’s decision to play Axar Patel at No 5 and drop KL Rahul down to No 6 has been on the receiving end from a wide range of critics but it paid off when it mattered the most, the Champions Trophy semifinal. Rahul scored an unbeaten 43 off just 34 balls and finished the game off with a six.
“And every time I perform in a series and then there’s a break from ODI series, ODI cricket and then we come back after four or five months there’s a question mark again about ‘oh well will he play in the XI, where does he fit’ and sometimes I’m sitting there thinking what more can I do?” – this was KL Rahul speaking from his heart to the broadcaster Star Sports after hitting the winning six for India in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia.
Yes, there have been lapses behind the stumps from the right-hander but Rahul can’t be the one at fault when it comes to his batting returns after enough and more scrutiny over his World Cup 2023 final knock. Rahul in his last eight innings has played in four positions in the batting order for India in the ODIs but going into the Champions Trophy, Rahul was aware that since India needed a left-hander in the top half, he might have to slide back down to No 6 despite averaging a colossal 56.48 batting at No 5.
“Yeah, I do [enjoy batting at the top], I mean I won’t lie,” Rahul said. “It’s after opening the batting in Australia in Test matches and having to face that attack in Australia and you know how red-ball [cricket] is much harder. I opened the batting there and then to come here and bat low seems a bit different, but this is how I’ve played white-ball cricket in the last four-five years.
“So, I’m quite used to going up and down the order so I’m just happy getting a chance to play in the middle and whatever role is given, I think it’s really helped me understand my game a lot more and I’ve had to work on boundary hitting a lot more in the last year or so because the last ODI we played in Sri Lanka I batted at No. 6, so I knew that’s where I’ll be batting and [we] needed a left-hander in the top order,” Rahul added.
Rahul has been the one who had to float, rotate and adjust the most in the batting order but still, he was the one to cop the most amount of criticism. Rahul also credited a lot of his success in ODIs in the last 24 months or so to captain Rohit Sharma for backing him and trusting with the role.
“Honestly, I mean it’s since I think 2020 I’ve batted at No.5 and a lot of times people forget that that’s where I’ve been batting,” Rahul said. Everywhere that I’ve been asked to play I’ve played and I feel like I have performed my role. Whatever’s been told to me by Rohit [Sharma], Rohit’s been the captain for the last four-five years.
“And whatever he’s told me I feel like I’ve done that to the best of my ability. And I know that Rohit feels the same and he’s always supported me and backed me with that. So, there’s that confidence going into game that the captain has my back,” he added.
An unbeaten 42 off 34 balls while smashing a six off Glenn Maxwell to score the winning runs, almost felt like a part of the 2023 World Cup was healed and for Rahul to do that at No 6, was yet another feather in his cap.
