IND vs AUS 2022: He was doing what the team was expecting him to do – Sunil Gavaskar on KL Rahul

Indian vice-captain KL Rahul might not have made a resounding comeback to the team after his injury but he has shown glimpses of good form. Rahul had scored fifty in the team’s final match of the Asia Cup against Afghanistan.

Subsequently, he carried the same form in the first T20I against Australia as he scored 55 runs at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. But Rahul could not make substantial contributions in the second and third T20I against the Aussies.

The second match was reduced to eight overs a side and Rahul had to go after the opposition bowlers from the get-go. Furthermore, India had to chase a par score of 187 runs in the third T20I against the visitors and thus Rahul once again had to score quickly in the PowerPlay overs.

The flamboyant batter decided to play according to the match situation and former Indian legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar believes Rahul was doing what was expected of him.

“Well, he was doing what the team was expecting him to do which was both the times, you saw he got a fifty in theIndian vice-captain KL Rahul might not have made a resounding comeback to the team after his injury but he has shown glimpses of good form. Rahul had scored fifty in the team’s final match of the Asia Cup against Afghanistan.
first game but in the second game, where he had to throw the bat from the first ball because it was an 8-overs-a-side game, he sacrificed his wicket for the team,” Gavaskar told Star Sports after India wrapped a 2-1 series win on Sunday in Hyderabad.

“Similarly, the asking rate in the 3rd T20I match was more than 9 runs an over, it’s never easy, you want to get off to a good start. He sacrificed his wicket over there.

“Again, like Kohli, when Rahul is playing proper cricketing shots, then he is unstoppable. But when these two players are trying to swing across the line, that is not their strength. They can play across the line when they come to the front foot and flick it that away but trying to play that cross-batter shot, they get into trouble. If they try to avoid that, they will keep scoring runs consistently,” he added.

KL Rahul is going to hold the key for India at the top of the order with Rohit Sharma. Rahul will look to deliver the goods for the team as he has all the experience under his belt.

Rahul will be seen in action in the T20I series against South Africa, starting Wednesday.