'Shouldn't repeat mistakes he made in Punjab Kings': Sehwag shares key piece of advice for Rahul after his run-out

In the second ODI against West Indies, Rahul put up a 90-run stand with Suryakumar after the team was jolted by early blows.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag feels KL Rahul had an excellent chance to put up a big score against the West Indies before a mix-up with Suryakumar Yadav led to his departure in the second ODI on Wednesday. Batting at No. 4 position in a rejigged batting line-up that had Rishabh Pant opening the innings, Rahul put up a 90-run stand with Suryakumar after the team was jolted by early blows.

India were in trouble, reeling at 43 for 3 in 12 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium when Rahul entered the picture. He scored 49 off 48 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Suryakumar played the anchoring role, with 64 off 83 balls to pull the team out from a precarious situation.

A disappointing mix-up led to Rahul’s run-out, which also broke their fourth-wicket partnership, and Sehwag feels the former Punjab Kings skipper has to work on his running between the wickets. "KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav stitched an important partnership after the early blows. Rahul played well and could have gone on to score big runs, if not for the runout," said Sehwag in a video shared on his social media accounts.

"There was an easy chance of a double, but he stopped in the middle, which caused the dismissal. He must work on his running between the wickets… shouldn't repeat mistakes he made in Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings)," he further added.

India have also tried new opening combinations in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan. Ishan Kishan started the innings with Rohit in the series opener while Rishabh Pant opened alongside Rohit in the second game. The 23-year-old Pant is known for his fearless brand of cricket but has also received flak for his rash shot selection. Sehwag, who himself used to play in a similar fashion, believes Pant can be "dangerous" if he succeeds in the opening role.

"I was surprised to see Rishabh Pant open. But many were surprised when I was promoted to the opening spot from the middle-order and also when Rohit Sharma was. Both of us ultimately succeeded as openers and Pant can be very dangerous if he is able to establish himself at that position in white-ball cricket," said Sehwag.

The third ODI will be played on Friday at the same venue in Ahmedabad where India will look to seal a 3-0 series whitewash. West Indies, on the other hand, will look for a consolation win to finish the ODI series on a positive note.