What is KL Rahul’s record against Australia in ODIs?
With Rohit Sharma being rested for the first two ODIs of the three-match series against Australia, KL Rahul will lead the Indian team. The 31-year-old recently made a comeback after recovering from a thigh injury he picked up during the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year.
Rahul missed the group stage matches of the Asia Cup due to a niggle he picked up while rehabilitating from his thigh injury. He was not supposed to be part of the Super 4 match against Pakistan but was drafted in at the last moment after Shreyas Iyer suffered back spasms.
The right-handed batter grabbed his opportunity with both and smashed an unbeaten 111 off 106 balls, featuring in an unbroken 233-run stand with Virat Kohli (122* off 94). He followed it up with a crucial 39 in a low-scoring game against Sri Lanka on a spinning surface in Colombo. Rahul will now look to lead from the front against the Aussies.
How KL Rahul has fared in ODIs against Australia
Rahul has featured in 11 ODIs against Australia, scoring 392 runs at an impressive average of 43.55. However, he is yet to cross the three-figure mark in the ODI format against the Aussies.
Seven of his 11 ODI games against Australia have come at home, where he has scored 280 runs at an average of 48. In Australia, he has featured in three one-day matches and has scored 93 runs, averaging 31.
Rahul has played one game against the Aussies at a neutral venue, which was in the 2019 World Cup in England. He came up with a cameo of 11* in three balls at The Oval.
Overall, Rahul has scored three half-centuries against Australia in one-dayers. His highest so far has been 80 off 52 balls, which came in Rajkot in January 2020. Rahul smacked six fours and three sixes and was named Player of the Match as Team India won the high-scoring game by 36 runs.
The elegant batter’s second ODI half-century against the Aussies came in November 2020 in Sydney. He scored a stroke-filled 76 off 66 balls, smashing four fours and five sixes. The knock was in vain though as India finished on 338/9 chasing a mammoth target of 390.
Rahul’s third ODI fifty against Australia was registered earlier this year in March at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He scored an unbeaten 75 off 91 balls, steering India’s chase of 189 after they crumbled to 39/4.
Thanks to Rahul’s anchor role, the Men in Blue got home by five wickets in 39.5 overs.