KL Rahul’s batting position has been altered several times in ODI cricket as of late. He batted at number six in India’s opening game against Bangladesh and against Pakistan, he didn’t bat at all, despite India losing four wickets.
India’s top four in the Champions Trophy has been constant, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opening, followed by Virat Kohli at three and Shreyas Iyer at four. KL Rahul was expected to bat at number five but it hasn’t been the case so far. Axar Patel was promoted five against Bangladesh, while Hardik Pandya batted at the same number against Pakistan, followed by Axar at number six.
KL Rahul didn’t have to bat in the match, else he would have come out at number seven or at eight after Ravindra Jadeja. Addressing the same, the keeper-batter noted that it’s never easy to move so frequently but he understands that the team has some sort of plans. He also added that it is not easy to rotate strikes right from the beginning as the conditions in Dubai have been challenging but he and the rest of the batters are finding ways to deal with it.
“It’s never easy for anyone on the team to be moving in different places but yeah, that’s, that’s how the game goes. Whatever the team thinks is the best possible combination and what they feel is the best entry points for the player, you leave it up to the team to decide and you just try and do your job,” Rahul said in the press conference.
“Rotating the strike as soon as you go in against spinners or fast bowlers has been a little bit of a challenge. So, once those dot balls start to pile up on a batsman, obviously the pressure builds up and you have to play that big shot or you have to play really short. And that obviously gives the opposition and the bowlers an opportunity. So that has been the challenge. And we’re trying to find ways to see how we can rotate the strike a lot more,” he added.
India will be playing New Zealand in their final league game of the campaign. The winner of the match will finish as the league leaders. Meanwhile, India will be playing their semi-final match on March 4 and for the same reason, they might rest a few players against the Kiwis.
