"India have got the best batter at No. 5" - Former Pakistan skipper hails KL Rahul ahead of IND vs AUS 2023 World Cup final

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik lauded India's KL Rahul for his consistent performances in the ongoing 2023 World Cup. Rahul has scored 386 runs in the tournament at a sensational average of 77.20.

Talking about some of the in-form middle-order batters, Malik compared Rahul to South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen. He feels Klaasen needs a foundation to unleash his best, while Rahul can shift gears according to the situation.

Speaking to A Sports, here's what Shoaib Malik had to say about KL Rahul:

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"The best at No 5 in the world cricket. Klassen (Heinrich) needs a base to get going. But if you compare, India have got the best batter at 5, who can play in any sort of situation. This is why KL bats at 5. If India lose two or three wickets early, he is someone, who can play according to the situation."

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Shoaib Malik recalled KL Rahul's knock against Australia

KL Rahul played a sensational knock of 97* in India's World Cup opener against Australia in Chennai. He had come out to bat when the hosts were in a precarious situation at 2/3.

However, Rahul formed a crucial partnership with Virat Kohli that brought India out of the danger zone and then remained unbeaten to finish the game. Shoaib Malik praised Rahul for getting the job done and stated:

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"He can finish the match, can improvise, can play with a good strike rate, and we have seen it today. He is good against spinners as well as the pacers. He picks the gaps and plays the field. Against Australia, we have seen, he was the one who finished the match."

Apart from his batting, Rahul has also been handy with the gloves and also has been highly accurate in helping Indian captain Rohit Sharma make DRS calls.

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