IND v AUS 2022: 3 things KL Rahul can learn from Virat Kohli's T20 comeback
KL Rahul hasn't had the best of times in the shortest format of the game recently. He has been criticized for slowing down the team's scoring rate, with calls from several quarters to drop him in favor of more attacking batters.
However, if recent trends are anything to go by, the Karnataka batter is likely to open the innings alongside captain Rohit Sharma in the upcoming T20 series against Australia and South Africa, and the T20 World Cup.
He has been named the vice-captain for all three of Team India's upcoming 20-over assignments. But he could be detrimental to the team's chances if he continues to perform in a similar vein.
Perhaps KL can take a cue from Virat Kohli's return to form in the shortest format to find his mojo again. On that note, here are three things the opener can learn from Team India's former captain:
#1 Play his natural game
KL Rahul was at his best, playing a free-flowing, attacking brand of cricket during the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Representing Kings XI Punjab, the opening batter slammed 659 runs at a strike-rate of 158.41.
While he has continued to be among the league's top-scorers in subsequent seasons, his strike-rate has taken a dip. The 30-year-old's batting approach for the national team has suffered simultaneously as he has majorly played the role of an anchor.
Now with Team India clearly inclining towards slam-bang cricket in the shortest format, Rahul would do great to bring out his natural game again and trust his natural instincts.
#2 Take the attack to the opposition
Virat Kohli majorly benefited by taking the attack to the opposition during his 122-run knock against Afghanistan. Rahul can take a cue from that and return to form.
As has often been seen in recent T20 games, quick run-scoring puts a lot more pressure on the opposition than having wickets in the bag.
If Rahul can provide much-needed impetus at the top of the order, it would do him and the team a world of good going into the T20 World Cup.
#3 Do the basics right
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Batters from various eras have acknowledged the importance of doing the basics right when out of form. Rahul needs to keep that in mind when he takes the field next.
Kohli followed his natural instincts and played clean cricketing shots against Afghanistan, which enabled him to score an international century after almost three years.
If the Karnataka batter keeps that in mind, we could well see him return to form with aplomb.
India's squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.
Standby: Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.