 "Team India coach Gautam Gambhir faces flak for KL Rahul batting at No.6: 'What they are doing is not fair'")
Indian coach Gautam Gambhir has come into the firing line for making KL Rahul bat at the No.6 slot in the ongoing ODI series against England. India have won both matches so far and lead the three-match series 2-0 but Rahul has had a tough time, scoring just 2 and 10 runs in two games respectively.
One of India’s best batters in ODI, Rahul, who is also playing as a wicket-keeper, has been picked over Rishabh Pant due to his superior batting prowess in the 50-over format, but the demotion to the No.6 spot has not gone down well with former Indian cricketers including Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Dodda Ganesh and a former Men in Blue selector.
Rahul has been pushed down a spot to accommodate Axar Patel at No.5, allowing India to include a left-right combination in the middle overs against spin bowling. However, Rahul, who scored 452 runs in 11 matches of the 2023 ODI World Cup, has not been able to adjust to the No.6 spot so far while India continues to promote spin-bowling all-rounders ahead of him. Before Axar, Washington Sundar batted ahead of Rahul in the Sri Lanka ODI series last year.
Srikkanth and Ganesh slam Gambhri for playing Rahul at No.6
Former India captain and a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, Srikkanth, has lambasted coach Gambhir for his unfair policy against Rahul.
“Shreyas Iyer is in good form, which is a positive for India. But I feel for KL Rahul, it’s very unfortunate. Yes, Axar Patel is scoring 30s and 40s, but what they are doing with KL Rahul is not fair. Look at his record, he has excelled at No. 5, with a brilliant record. I don’t know what the team management is thinking regarding his position. If he bats at No. 6 or 7, he ends up scoring 6 or 7. It’s unfair,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth added that Gambhir’s strategy to make Rahul bat at the No.6 spot is dangerous as such experimentation could lead to a situation where things may fall apart for Team India in a “crucial game”.
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View All“Hey, Gambhir, what you are doing is not right. Yes, depending on the situation, India can send Axar at No. 5, but it cannot be a consistent strategy. If you keep making such changes, you know what will happen there will be a crucial match where everything falls apart. That’s what worries me,” he added.
“You can’t justify it by talking about the left-right combination. Does that mean you don’t care about a left-right combination in the top four? Why does it only matter at No. 5? I have no issue with Axar Patel-he is making the most of his chances. But if you’re pushing Rahul down the order, then play Rishabh Pant at No. 6. Why undermine Rahul’s confidence?
“Is it fair to a player who has performed brilliantly in world cricket?”
Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh shared similar sentiments as he felt that pushing a genuine batter to the No.6 position is a strategy fraught with risk and can backfire if India lose quick wickets.
“Axar Patel again ahead of KL Rahul? I’m speechless. Does it make any sense to push a genuine batter like Rahul to no 6? When you’re 5/3, do you’ve the courage to send Axar on a tricky pitch? If not, what sense does this experiment make? Absolutely mindless this,” Ganesh wrote on X.
Axar Patel again ahead of KL Rahul? I’m speechless. Does it make any sense to push a genuine batter like Rahul to no 6? When you’re 5/3, do you’ve the courage to send Axar on a tricky pitch? If not, what sense does this experiment make?Absolutely mindless this #INDvENG
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) February 9, 2025
Former Team India sector questions Gambhir’s decision
A former Team India selector blasted Gambhir’s decision while speaking to news agency PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“KL has been outstanding at No. 5 for India. He scored nearly 1300 runs (1259) and enjoys a strike rate of nearly 100 (95.45) with an average close to 60. These are exceptional numbers, so why do you want to reinvent the wheel?” the former national selector said.
A former India cricketer, who has worked with Gambhir, shared that the coach prefers multi-utility players but it has created a tough situation for Rahul or Pant.
“If you want batting till No. 8, you’ve got to play multi-skilled players, and if Axar is playing, then Pant can’t play. And Axar will play in these conditions. Hence, not just is it an unfortunate situation for Pant, who is not finding a slot in the side, but it is also going to be tough for Rahul as his game isn’t suited for the No. 4 spot,” he said.
The third India vs England ODI will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on 12 February (Wednesday).
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