"KL Rahul was the all-in-one player of the match" - Gautam Gambhir hails wicketkeeper-batter's all-round display during IND vs AUS 2023 ODI WC clash
Gautam Gambhir has named KL Rahul as the all-in-one player of the match for his display against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
Rahul kept wickets for the Men in Blue despite Ishan Kishan's presence in the playing XI. Keeping wickets on a surface that aided the spinners and had variable bounce was a challenge in itself, which he carried out quite well without any hiccups. He also claimed a sharp catch to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings.
On the batting front, Rahul came out to bat with the score reading 2-3. He then stitched a crucial 165-run partnership with Virat Kohli. The keeper-batter scored an unbeaten 97 runs as Team India got their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign off to a winning start.
Praising Rahul's display against the Aussies under difficult circumstances, Gambhir said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda:
"KL Rahul was the all-in-one player of the match."
"If you are keeping wickets for 50 overs, where there was a brilliant catch and then come out to play an innings like that, then he has to be the all-in-one player of tha match," he added.
Former India pacer S Sreesanth also named KL Rahul as the player of the match but also included Virat Kohli in the mix. The former skipper scored 85 runs off 116 deliveries to help India win the game by six wickets. He also claimed a sharp catch at first slip to send back Mitchell Marsh early on in the contest.
Hailing Rahul andKohli's match-winning displays, Sreesanth said during the exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda:
"KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were the players of the match. They were batting when the score was at 2-3. The catch that Kohli took to dismiss Marsh, it was very important. So, for me these two players stood out. Kohli deserved the hundred, but that is how it is."
The pair set the record for the highest partnership for Team India for the fourth wicket or below in ODI World Cups.
"If there is one team that has the best spin attack apart from India, it is Afghanistan" - Gautam Gambhir
Team India are next scheduled to face Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. The Men in Blue are currently placed fifth in the points table with a net run rate of +0.883.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, began their World Cup campaign with a loss at the hands of Bangladesh in Dharamshala. However, that does not change the fact that the Afghans have an incredible spin trio in Rashid Khan, Mujueedb ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi.
Opining that Afghanistan can trouble Team India with their spin bowling if the surface aids it, Gautam Gambhir said:
"The Afghanistan spinners can definitely pose a threat to Indian batters in Delhi. If there is one team that has the best spin attack apart from India, it is Afghanistan."
"If the wicket is similar to the one used for South Africa vs Sri Lanka, then the Afghan spinners might have a problem. However, if the ball does grip, then the spin trio will certainly be a threat," he added.
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of Team India's upcoming clash against Afghanistan. He has not traveled with the team but is in contention to recover in time for the high-octane clash against Pakistan on October 14.