IND vs ZIM 2022: "I am not worried about his form" - Mohammad Kaif on KL Rahul falling cheaply in the 2nd ODI
Mohammad Kaif has said that he is not too concerned about KL Rahul's form despite the Indian skipper falling cheaply in the second ODI against Zimbabwe.
Rahul managed just one run before playing across to a Victor Nyauchi delivery to be dismissed leg-before-wicket on Saturday, August 20. The Men in Blue, however, went on to register a comfortable five-wicket win to seal the series before the final game on Monday.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Kaif was asked about KL Rahul opening the batting but falling cheaply. He responded:
"Such things happen, he is coming back after a long time. I am not worried about his form, he is a class batter. He got out today, it does not make a difference. It was a pitched-up delivery that came in after pitching and you can get dismissed against the new ball anytime.
Kaif highlighted that the Karnataka batter is trying his utmost to get back to his best, elaborating:
"He is a fantastic batter. He was going for knocking when the match got over. He had the pads in his hands and was going straight to the nets. He is trying to be in touch, get the rhythm back."
Rahul was added to the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe tour to spend some time in the middle after a long layoff. He didn't get to bat in the first game and promoted himself to the top of the order in Saturday's game but it did not yield the desired results.
"He is a class batter" - Mohammad Kaif says KL Rahul has scored runs in every format
Kaif pointed out that the Lucknow Super Giants skipper was at his prolific best in IPL 2022. He observed:
"When he got injured during the IPL, there also he was in form. He scored runs in every match, scored two centuries also in the IPL against the Mumbai Indians, so he was in great form. He is a class batter, he is scoring hundreds in Test matches. He has scored runs in every format."
Kaif concluded by hoping that Rahul fights it out in the middle in the last match of the series. The former Indian batter explained:
"There is one more match. So he should spend some time when he comes to bat there, struggle a little, there will be appeals, he might get beaten by an odd delivery. Every batter has such a phase in his life when he is coming back from injury. But I will not be too concerned by him getting out in today's match."
KL Rahul is part of the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2022. The Indian team management will hope that Rohit Sharma's likely opening partner has some runs behind him heading into the tournament.