Aakash Chopra’s unorthodox suggestion to solve KL Rahul conundrum
Aakash Chopra has backed KL Rahul to maintain his place in India’s playing XI for the fourth T20I against England. The former cricketer suggested KL Rahul could drop down the order, with Ishan Kishan opening alongside Rohit Sharma.
The popular presenter discussed how changing a batsman’s position can help him recover his form. He recalled how MS Dhoni pushed Virat Kohli down the order in 2014 to help the youngster recover his touch.
Virat Kohli came into the West Indies ODI series on the back of that disastrous tour against England. He batted at No. 3 in the first ODI but perished after scoring just two runs. MS Dhoni decided to drop Kohli to No. 4in thee next game, with Ambati Rayudu coming before him.
The move worked wonders, with Virat Kohli scoring 62 at his new position. He immediately moved back to No. 3 in the next game and scored a stunning 114 ball 127 at Dharamsala.
Aakash Chopra feels something similar could be done with KL Rahul in this series. He staunchly backed the 28-year-old despite his poor form, explaining how India can tinker with their batting line-up in the fourth T20I.
“I wouldn’t drop KL Rahul. I don’t think India would as well. I would be tempted to play Ishan Kishan at the top and play KL Rahul at 3. Or play Virat Kohli at 3 and KL Rahul at 4,” Chopra said.
On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra discussed how backing KL Rahul during his lean phase would do wonders for his confidence, while also ensuring India’s batting doesn’t get weakened.
“Changing the batting order will not be a deal-breaker. The player’s confidence won’t take a hit as well, since you haven’t dropped him from the side. He (referring to KL Rahul) can be given a new role, and once he performs well there he can go back at the top,” Chopra added.
India desperately need KL Rahul to come back to form
KL Rahul is India’s top-ranked batsman in T20Is. His poor form against England has hit India hard, with the hosts struggling to build partnerships at the top. The opener has registered scores of 1,0,0, lasting just 14 balls across three games.
His struggles have forced India to rethink their top order, with both Ishan Kishan and Shikhar Dhawan getting chances as the hosts try out multiple opening pairs.
India are yet to finalize their opening combination, and KL Rahul’s T20 average and strike rate of 40.60 and 143.13 are too good for him to be left out of the side.
Both Virat Kohli and batting coach Vikram Rathour have backed KL Rahul to overcome his struggles.
An in-form Rahul is essential to India’s success in the shortest format of the game, and he will hope he gets another chance to prove his credentials when India play England on March 18.