Asia Cup 2022: "He can score at a 150-160 strike-rate against the best bowlers in the world" - Shane Watson wants KL Rahul to express himself at the top of the order
Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson believes KL Rahul functions at his best when he is aggressive and takes on the bowlers. The wicket-keeper batter has often employed a reserved approach in T20s and tries to anchor the innings, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Spending most of the year on the sidelines due to recurring injury concerns, KL Rahul played his first T20I in 2022 in the ongoing Asia Cup. The Karnataka-born player made a forgettable return after being dismissed for a duck against Pakistan in the group stage.
He followed it up with a couple of decent outings in the middle, both of which were contrasting in nature.
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Noting that Rahul's strength lies in taking on the opposition bowlers, Watson said in the latest edition of the ICC Review:
“I just want him to be the best version of him. And the times where I’ve seen the best version of him is when he’s really taking on the game.We’ve seen it a number of times in the IPL, a number of times for India as well.
"When he finds his feet and knows what the conditions are, he really takes down the bowlers."
Adding that the ace batter has the ability to score at a strike rate of over 150 against any bowling attack, Watson stated:
"He can score at a 150-160 strike-rate against the best bowlers in the world and that’d take a bit of pressure off Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as well."
He added:
"So for me, when KL Rahul is at his best, he’s really taking the game on. He’s not accumulating runs, he’s just taking them on, from ball one. That’s the skill he’s got.”
Rahul had a solid IPL 2022 campaign with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and was the leading run scorer among Indian batters with 616 runs at a strike-rate of 135.38.
Following the tournament, he was ruled out for a couple of months due to a hernia surgery and COVID-19, before returning to lead in the ODI series against Zimbabwe last month.
"He’s still got three, four, five years at his absolute prime at the international level" - Shane Watson on KL Rahul's bright future
The opening batter has struggled to find rhythm ever since his return from the injury layoff. He couldn't get going against Hong Kong in the group stage, failing to score even at run-a-ball during his 36-run knock.
However, he looked in good touch while scoring 28 off 20 deliveries during India's recent encounter against Pakistan in the Super 4 stage.
Enjoyed that start. I think this is the KL Rahul India want to see
Opining that KL Rahul can perform at his peak for at least five more years, Watson said:
“He’s performed very well in international cricket for India in recent times. He’s that good. The skill that he’s got, he certainly can be the main man. And he’s only 30 as well. He’s still got three, four, five years at his absolute prime at the international level."
The Indian vice-captain has the rest of the Asia Cup and a short home season to regain his rhythm ahead of the all-important 2022 T20 World Cup.
Will KL Rahul regain his form in time for the tournament in Australia? Let us know what you think.