Navjot Singh Sidhu slams KL Rahul’s usage ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy final

Former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu lashed out at the team’s think tank over KL Rahul’s continuous change in the batting order. Before the ODI series against England, Rahul was batting at number five. However, the team management decided to demote him to number six as Axar Patel was able to deliver in the first two games against England, returning with scores of 51 and 42.

Rahul’s place in the ODI team is always under scrutiny despite him performing consistently for the side. The flamboyant batter scored an impressive knock of 42 runs off 34 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes in the semifinal of the Champions Trophy against Australia on Tuesday.

Sidhu hailed Rahul as a selfless player and added he is a team man as he always does what the team wants him to do.

“KL Rahul, you see, even the spare tyre is not used as much. You play him as a wicketkeeper, as No. 6, as an opener, then when BGT comes you play him at No. 3. Then you tell him to open. I tell you one thing. Opening in ODIs is the easiest, but doing it in Tests is the toughest. He is a selfless player,” Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Star Sports.

On the other hand, Rahul also opened up on his continuous scrutiny over his place in the team despite performing consistently in ODIs. The wicket-keeper bat has an average of almost 50 in the 50-over format.

“It’s since I think 2020 that I’ve batted at No. 5 and a lot of times people forget that that’s where I’ve been batting. And every time I perform in a series and then there’s a break from ODI series, ODI cricket, and then we come back after four or five months there’s a question mark again about ‘oh well, will he play in the XI, where does he fit’ and sometimes I’m sitting there thinking what more can I do. Everywhere that I’ve been asked to play I’ve played, and I feel like I have performed my role, whatever’s been told to me by Rohit,” KL Rahul said after India’s semifinal win.

India will take on New Zealand in the summit clash of the Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday.