"If KL Rahul continues to keep wickets, it is difficult to even touch him" - Wasim Jaffer
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer feels that as long as KL Rahul continues to perform consistently with the bat at No. 5 and also keep wickets, his place in the ODI team is under almost no threat.
Rahul's form in T20Is and Tests has been up and down of late, but the right-hander proved once again why he is a dependable ODI batter in the middle order. India were in a spot of bother while chasing just 216 against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.
However, KL Rahul played a responsible knock of 64* and ensured that he took his team over the line.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo after the game, here's what Wasim Jaffer had to say about this knock and Rahul's spot in the ODI team:
"If KL Rahul continues to keep wickets, it is difficult to even touch him. Rishabh Pant is the one who can challenge him for that spot once he is fit. But at the moment it is difficult to think beyond Rahul at No. 5.
"Other formats often get dragged in the conversation, but if you look just at his one-day numbers in the middle order, they are absolutely first-class."
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KL Rahul playing a crucial knock is a great sign for India: Wasim Jaffer
Rahul has often been criticized in the recent past for his inconsistency, especially in big games and under crunch situations. But the way he absorbed the pressure in the second ODI and managed to take India to victory is something that has impressed Jaffer.
KL Rahul at number 5 in ODI:
7(8), 80(52), 88*(64), 4(8), 112(113), 12(15), 76(66), 5(11), 62*(43), 7(18), 73(70), 14(28), 8(10), 39(29), 64*(103). https://t.co/7Y2B0qfcD4
On this, the former opener stated:
"There has been a lot of talk about Rahul and his form with the bat. So him playing a crucial knock and winning the game for the team is a great sign."
India’s squad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.