In the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, India’s opener and vice-captain, KL Rahul, didn’t manage to end his bad form streak and got stripped of from the vice-captaincy in the third and fourth Test match. But, the ODI series against Australia offered him a lifeline to save his spot for the WTC 2023, which will be held at Oval.
Following India’s wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant’s tragic road accident in December, Shreyas Iyer’s back injury during the final Test in Ahmedabad, and a poor start in the Test career of KS Bharat are factors that created a lucky chance for KL Rahul to take a spot in the upcoming ODI series against Australia.
If Rahul will give an up-to-mark performance against Australia and in IPL 2023, then it will ultimately boost his position as a number five batsman who can keep a charge in the middle order batting as well as in the wicket-keeping department in both ODI and Test formats.
Speaking about KL Rahul’s position in the playing eleven and his past performance in England, India’s veteran batsman Sunil Gavaskar said, “You can see KL Rahul as a wicketkeeper. If he bats at No. 5 or 6 at the Oval (in the WTC final), then out batting will be stronger. Because he batted well in England last year. He scored a century at Lord’s. Keep KL Rahul in mind when you pick your XI for the WTC final.”
He also talked about Rahul’s role as a wicketkeeper batsman and said, “Whether they will select him in the XI or not is up to the selection committee, but in England, you won’t get pitches where the keeper has to stand up to the stumps. In that case, you can pick KL Rahul as a wicketkeeper, and even Ishan Kishan can be considered. Their batting is better than Bharat’s.”
