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'Rohit is pretty clear... and conveyed it to me': KL Rahul on his 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup batting position
Speaking after the second ODI vs Sri Lanka, KL Rahul opened up about his batting position, as conveyed by Rohit Sharma, for the upcoming 2023 Cricket World Cup.
KL Rahul looked pretty comfortable with the bat as his unbeaten knock of 64 runs off 103 balls led India to a four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the second ODI at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on Thursday. The wicketkeeper-batter rose to the occasion and came to India's rescue after its top order collapsed during the chase.
Chasing a target of 216 runs, India lost some early wickets as openers Rohit Sharma (17) and Shubman Gill (21) departed for the dugout. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli left cheaply after only mustering four runs off nine balls. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer did try to build a partnership with Rahul, but could only add 28 runs to the chase.
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Batting at no. 5, Rahul stitched partnerships with Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as India sealed a series-clinching 2-0 win in the three-match series.
Rahul, who usually bats as an opener, has settled nicely into the role of a middle-order batter in the ODIs. In fact, he averages over 50 and has a strike rate of close to 100 while batting at No.4 or 5 for India. After the match, Rahul revealed that captain Rohit Sharma has been quite clear about where he wants the wicketkeeper to bat in the upcoming ODI World Cup scheduled for this year in India. “At No. 5 you will be facing spin, I like the ball coming on to the bat. Ro (Rohit) is pretty clear that's where he wants me to bat (No. 5) and conveyed that to me,” he said.
About his batting approach, he said, "About batting at no. 5, one thing I really enjoy is that you don't rush back to bat (compared to the role of an opener). You can put your feet up, have a shower, have a good meal and react to the situation. If the team requires me to bat at a certain strike rate I try and do it to the best of my ability. More often than not just try and do the job the team wants has been my mindset."
Initially, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 215 in 39.4 overs, courtesy of a half-century by Nuwanidu Fernando. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav bagged three wickets each for India's bowling department.
