Rahul last played 50-over cricket in March 2021 against England at home. He batted at No. 5 in all three games - and did well to score 177 runs, including a century - with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan taking up the opening duties.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Rahul said the team required him to play in the middle-order then but in Rohit’s absence here, he’ll return to the top. He said:
Rahul also admitted that opening the batting in this series won’t take anything away from the team’s mantra of “flexibility” and that he can again shift to the middle-order if the need arises.
The 29-year-old asserted that the team doesn’t want to be “predictable” and all players are aware of that.
Rohit Sharma is nursing a hamstring injury and is likely to return for India’s home series against West Indies.
Rahul’s shift to the top of the order might mean that he’ll also not keep wickets, which will allow India to test Shreyas Iyer at No.4 followed by Rishabh Pant at No.5 in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup.
“Personally been someone who’s enjoyed watching Shikhar Dhawan play in ODIs” - KL Rahul
Rahul also spoke about Dhawan, who, if selected, will play his first international match since July. The skipper informed that Dhawan is in a nice space and understands what is expected of him.
He added that he’s admired Dhawan’s batting style too, saying he’ll only try and help him carry that forward.
Rahul concluded by saying:
The first ODI will begin at 2:00 pm IST in Paarl.
0 votes
