"For heaven's sake don’t shuffle his spot again" - Dodda Ganesh appeals to Team India to retain KL Rahul as opener for remainder of BGT 2024-25
Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh feels that KL Rahul should not be shunned back into the middle-order after the imminent arrival of skipper Rohit Sharma for the remainder of the series. The right-hander put his previous experience as an opener to good use, and played with composure to play out a tough period against the new ball in the first Test against Australia in Perth.
Rahul was slotted at the top of the order again following Rohit Sharma's unavailability for the series opener. The Karnataka batter struggled in the position during the second unofficial Test against Australia 'A', and sustained a blow to his elbow during match simulation as well. However, he did not show any signs of rustiness when it mattered.
The right-handed batter showed application and concentration of the highest level to keep the Australian pacers at bay while the rest of the top-order crumbled in no time. However, his innings came to a controversial end as third umpire Richard Illingworth overturned the on-field call despite some questionable evidence regarding an outside edge.
Despite being unable to convert the start, Rahul's patient knock impressed fans and pundits alike, which now begs the question that where will he bat when Rohit Sharma returns.
"Just have KL Rahul opening throughout the tour. For heaven's sake don’t shuffle his spot again. He’s the best bet to handle the conditions with the new ball. Rohit can bat in the middle order," Dodda Ganesh wrote on Twitter.
KL Rahul was originally slated to play in the middle-order after losing his spot to Sarfaraz Khan midway through the home series against New Zealand.
KL Rahul lost his spot as an opening batter after 2023 Border-Gavaskar series
The right-handed batter was once the first-choice opener in Tests, impressing in tough overseas conditions like England and South Africa. However, a poor run of form during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series on home soil, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill's emergence ruled him out of contention as the pecking order changed.
He found a new role in the middle-order as Team India moved on from Ajinkya Rahane amid the transition. Shreyas Iyer's poor form also gave the Karnataka batter an extended run through which he was able to make an impression.