In the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia at home, batsman KL Rahul has played at various positions whenever he was asked for it.
In the first, he came one down at the No. 3 spot and Virat Kohli dropped himself down to No. 4. He faced a lot of criticism for the same, however, he continued with his performance.
In the second, he was made to come in at No. 5 spot and was even made to keep wickets after Rishabh Pant suffered a concussion.
The second ODI proved to all his strength as he went on to win the Man of the Match.
In the third, he came in as an opener after Shikhar Dhawan faced injury and even kept wickets despite Pant being fit and sure did a decent job.
Impressed with KL Rahul's performance behind the stumps, former India batsman Virender Sehwag feels that the team management should stick with the Karnataka player to get the job done even in the longer run.
Sehwag also spoke about how MS Dhoni grew as a finisher and hence, wants the management to back Rahul to be the same as well as the wicket-keeper in the team.
“If KL Rahul fails four times batting at No. 5, the current Indian team management will look to change his slot. However, same wasn’t the case with Dhoni, who knew how important it is to back players at such positions, having himself gone through the hard grind,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
“With the top-order finding it easier for a while in limited-over cricket, it is those in the middle-order who need backing from the captain. If you don’t give players time, how else will they learn and become big players?
“I myself batted in the middle-order before opening and made a lot of mistakes, which even resulted in the team’s defeat. But you don’t become a big player sitting outside on the bench. Players need time,” he said.
The Indian skipper too praised Rahul and said batting at number 5 could well be a long term option for him.
“It (Rahul’s keeping) definitely allows us to play extra batsmen which strengthen our batting massively. That is a very important factor as far as the team balance is concerned,” Team India captain Virat Kohli said after the series win.
