Virat Kohli led Indian cricket team sealed the just-concluded series between India and Australia by 2-1. The Indian cricket team did what they are best at and defeated Australians in the third and decider ODI by 7 wickets, chasing the target of 286 runs.
While the complete squad gave their best against Australia, however, KL Rahul impressed one and all with his impeccable performance in the series not just as a batsman but as a wicket-keeper as well. Though KL Rahul was giving his best for the last few months, however, the ongoing series against Australia tested his true potential and talent.
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After winning the decider match, in the post-match presentation, the Indian skipper showered praises on KL Rahul. Virat Kohli even compared KL Rahul with the legend Rahul Dravid and claimed that he brings the same balance to the team. Virat said:
“It (Rahul’s keeping) definitely allows us to play an extra batsman which strengthens our batting massively. That is a very important factor as far as the team balance is concerned. If you look at the 2003 World Cup when Rahul bhai started keeping, the balance became different because you could play an extra batter and guys at the top could really play positive cricket,”
KL Rahul’s batting performance kept changing in the series. From being asked to open the series for India to being asked to bat at number 5 to being asked to play the role of a keeper as well, KL Rahul did everything in the ongoing series for India. Virat Kohli opened up about the change in batting positions as well. He said:
“I think lack of clarity in terms of positions has really hurt us in the past. Now that we understand that this feels right, we will go ahead with that for a while and figure out if this is the right thing to do or not. You cannot chip and change immediately and create confusion among the group. It (Rahul’s keeping) definitely allows us to play an extra batsmen which strengthens our batting massively. That is a very important factor as far as the team balance is concerned,”
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Calling him a “proper batsman”, Virat said:
“Look, he is very open to playing anywhere because he is a proper batsman and can do you good in any format and any position in the game. He won’t go slam bang from ball one but he can do what he did in Rajkot playing good cricketing shots. So I think a solid game plan and understanding of his game is helping him,”
