There may be some truth to the theory that wicketkeepers only get noticed or talked about when they mess up. They are supposed to grab everything that comes their way, armoured as they are with extra padding in the palms of their gloves. A fine catch may elicit no more than a nod of the head or a pat on the back while errors tend to invite stares and swears.
But if KL Rahul is earning widespread appreciation for his shift behind the stumps at this World Cup, it’s because he has been so good that it would be inappropriate to not acknowledge. From one-handed diving catches to saving boundaries off wides straying down the leg side, from assisting in effective use of the Decision Review System (DRS) to guiding India’s bowlers on the right areas to target, the 31-year-old has been spotless so far.
His efficiency merits all the more recognition considering he only started keeping for India three years ago. Mainly due to Rishabh Pant’s middling one-day record and a lack of other alternatives, Rahul was entrusted with the gloves while moving down the batting order to No. 5 for the first time against Australia in Rajkot in January 2020. He responded with a 52-ball 80 and two catches, taking home the player-of-the-match award.
Even before Pant’s car accident last December resulted in a prolonged spell on the sidelines, Rahul seemed to have taken ownership of the wicketkeeper’s slot in one-day cricket with a clutch of notable displays. That impression has only been enhanced at this World Cup. His numbers as keeper now read 1127 runs in 30 ODIs at an average of 56.35, considerably better than an average of 44.03 in 39 games otherwise. It means Pant may have to work his way back to the one-day set-up whenever he is fully fit. Unlike his outstanding contributions in white flannels, Pant averages just 34.6 in 30 ODIs.
{{/usCountry}}Even before Pant’s car accident last December resulted in a prolonged spell on the sidelines, Rahul seemed to have taken ownership of the wicketkeeper’s slot in one-day cricket with a clutch of notable displays. That impression has only been enhanced at this World Cup. His numbers as keeper now read 1127 runs in 30 ODIs at an average of 56.35, considerably better than an average of 44.03 in 39 games otherwise. It means Pant may have to work his way back to the one-day set-up whenever he is fully fit. Unlike his outstanding contributions in white flannels, Pant averages just 34.6 in 30 ODIs.
{{/usCountry}}That is a debate for a later day. For now, let’s simply focus on Rahul and his tidiness behind the stumps. More specifically Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s dismissal in Pune, for it is the sort of effort that only an excellent gloveman can pull off. Miraz’s glance went so far down Rahul’s left that a mediocre keeper may not have even got to it. But Rahul was so swift in his reaction and precise in his footwork that he was able to cling onto the ball with a stretch of his left hand.
“He was a keeper-batter all through age-group cricket,” says his childhood coach, Samuel Jayaraj, without a hint of surprise about Rahul’s glovework at this tournament. “He came to me when he was ten-and-a-half years old as a wicketkeeper-batter. He was my opening batter, wicketkeeper and captain.”
Perhaps the challenge of opening for India made him focus entirely on his batting in the first five years of his international career. Jayaraj believes wicketkeeping helps Rahul’s batting too. The reason? “Watching the ball. Simple. That's a very important thing. Watching the ball is key,” said Jayaraj.
By performing as well as he has, Rahul has made light of a thigh surgery that was threatening to impede his availability for this World Cup. He only returned to action on September 10 -- less than a month before the World Cup -- against Pakistan, immediately stamping his presence with an unbeaten ton. The lengthy rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru entailed extensive work on keeping.
“During the process of getting fitter as well, I did focus a lot on wicketkeeping along with my batting. The medical team at the NCA felt, with the kind of injury I had, the difficult part would be wicketkeeping more than batting,” Rahul said earlier in the tournament. “The things that I've worked much harder on are my fitness and wicketkeeping. Then came batting, so it was in that order. Even when I've come back here, I've spent a lot of time wicketkeeping. I feel like that requires a bit more time and effort from my side.”
Rahul’s technique, said former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, is sound. And he isn’t merely going by some eye-popping lunges down the leg side.
“I’ve always thought he has really good hands. His hands are so soft. You can figure out even when he gathers a straight ball. The way his hands give in, it is absolutely top stuff,” said Dasgupta. “The other day, I was having a chat with him and asked whether the mindset has changed. ‘Yeah, I’m a keeper batsman,’ he said. Generally, you still think like a batter, but he seems to have done what is the most difficult part. The mindset needs to change, and he seems to be thinking like a keeper-batter.”
What about Rahul’s footwork specifically? “There is no issue with his footwork at all. As a keeper, footwork doesn’t have to be a lot, but it has to be decisive and he has got that,” said Dasgupta.
In modern-day cricket, the keeper’s role also involves acting as a sounding board for referrals – one of many facets where MS Dhoni was considered unparalleled. So far, Rahul’s judgement hasn’t let the team down. Against South Africa, for instance, Rahul’s conviction played a key role in Rassie van der Dussen’s dismissal. “He’s very intelligent. You may have seen that when he takes calls for DRS,” said Jayaraj.
The ability to help bowlers course-correct when needed also comes with the job territory. “KL (Rahul) told me it stopped swinging after one over, so I switched over to hard lengths,” pacer Mohammed Siraj said after a one-dayer against Sri Lanka in January.
His inputs from behind may not be striking because he isn't as witty as Dhoni or as vociferous as Pant. “He's vocal enough. He talks to the bowlers and tells them where to bowl and stuff like that,” said Dasgupta. “He's easily one of the better keepers going around in world cricket at the moment.”
That’s high praise for someone who took the gloves for India three years ago.