IND vs ZIM 2022: "He would like to prove to the selectors that he hasn't lost any of his rhythm of batting" - Sanjay Manjrekar on KL Rahul
Sanjay Manjrekar feels KL Rahul will want to prove to the selectors that he is at the top of his game with his performances in the ODI series against Zimbabwe.
Rahul was originally not picked in the Indian squad for the three-match series against the Chevrons. He was subsequently added once he proved his fitness and even replaced Shikhar Dhawan as the skipper for the tour.
During an interaction on the Sports 18 show 'Sports Over the Top', Manjrekar was asked about the importance of the series from India's perspective. He replied:
"The spotlight will be on a couple of important players. One is KL Rahul - to see whether his long injury layoff had any effect on him. He seems to be a certainty for that T20 World Cup squad but he would like to prove to the selectors that he hasn't lost any of his rhythm of batting."
Tomorrow - KL Rahul returns to the Indian team, was going through such tough times with injury, Covid in the last few months, he will be looking to make the count and gain lots of confidence ahead of Asia Cup - he started his International career in the same venue as well.
Rahul has not played any competitive cricket since IPL 2022. The Karnataka cricketer underwent a sports hernia surgery in Germany post the tournament and then tested positive for COVID-19 when he was about to make a comeback to the Indian side.
"Tough one" - Sanjay Manjrekar on where KL Rahul should bat in the series
Manjrekar was further asked where Rahul should bat in the Zimbabwe series. He responded:
"Tough one because you have got Ruturaj Gaikwad there, you have got people like Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson who also open in limited-overs cricket. I am guessing that KL Rahul will open the innings."
The former Indian batter highlighted Rahul's proficiency in batting at any position in ODI cricket, elaborating:
"If you look at his ODI record, he has played down the order as well. He is such a good player that he can make quite an impact at No. 1 and No. 4 or No. 5. He is a bit like Suryakumar Yadav."
Manjrekar concluded by suggesting that the stylish batter should open alongside Dhawan. He reasoned:
"Bat him at any position and his impact is not diminished but if you look at his big scores, he has got I think five ODI hundreds, all of them have come opening the innings, so you need somebody to play that kind of an innings in 50-over cricket. So KL Rahul will be best suited to bat at the top of the order."
I think KL should open in the Zimbabwe series, he's coming off a long layoff and needs game time. #ZIMvIND
Three of Rahul's five centuries in ODI cricket have come at the top of the order. Although the 30-year-old has enjoyed great success in the middle order as well, he might want to open the batting to spend as much time at the crease as possible.