All posts tagged: KL Rahul batting

‘People often ask why is he batting so low’: KL Rahul’s unique ability helps him don ODI No. 6 role, says Irfan Pathan | Cricket News

‘People often ask why is he batting so low’: KL Rahul’s unique ability helps him don ODI No. 6 role, says Irfan Pathan | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Whether KL Rahul is batting too low in India’s batting ODI order has been a question that has crept up often since head coach Gautam Gambhir took over the side in mid-2024. However, the Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter isn’t complaining and is continuing to do a stellar job while at it. Rahul is being entrusted with the tricky No. 5/6 floating role simply because, well, he is good at it too. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also heaped praise on Rahul’s composure under the pressure of the death-overs of an ODI, which has begun to play tricks on the batters’ with the new rule allowing the use of only one ball post the 34th over. In a 301-run chase that seemed to fritter with a flurry of wickets against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, Rahul took his time to settle in but eventually quelled the nerves by sealing a four-wicket win for India. He got them across the line with some flair too, smashing the winning six for the sixth time in his career. Only the …

‘People in charge seem to forget what the player has done…’: KL Rahul on challenge of ‘proving myself all the time’ | Cricket News

‘People in charge seem to forget what the player has done…’: KL Rahul on challenge of ‘proving myself all the time’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Nearly 15 months after his and India’s ODI World Cup final heartbreak in Ahmedabad, KL Rahul was at the heart of a momentous Champions Trophy in Dubai as the Men in Blue ended the 50-over title jinx after 12 years. After starring with a crucial cameo in India’s semi-final victory over Australia, Rahul candidly expressed the frustrations of having to consistently prove his detractors wrong while adjusting to multiple roles, ranging from an opener to middle-order bat and wicket-keeper across formats within months. “Whenever I perform well in a series and then take a break from the ODI circuit, I always face questions upon my return after 4-5 months. People wonder if I’ll even make the playing XI or where I’ll fit into the team. It makes me think at times, ‘What more can I do?’ But no matter where I’ve been asked to play, I’ve always given my best, and I believe I’ve executed my role to the best of my ability,” Rahul said in the post-match press conference then. Speaking in a Sky …

IPL: Jaydev Unadkat reveals the strategy behind prized wicket of KL Rahul | Ipl News

IPL: Jaydev Unadkat reveals the strategy behind prized wicket of KL Rahul | Ipl News

Published by Webster

Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Jaydev Unadkat claimed the prized wicket of Delhi Capitals’ wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul in the washed out game on Monday. Delhi Capitals were reeling at 29/4 after the seventh over and needed their mkst experienced man to save the situation. However, Unadkat went round the wicket and bowled a full delivery, which was angling into the off-stump. Rahul got caught up in his crease trying to drive on the up and gave away a healthy outside edge. The ball flew quickly, and Ishan Kishan pounced on the opportunity and returned with 10(14). Talking about his approach to Rahul’s wicket, Unadkat said,”I won’t say it’s a weakness (for Rahul), as a bowler, you have to have some weapon ready, and one of those weapons is to change the angle. Have bowled to KL in the past, both over the wicket and round the wicket, and I feel like I have a little better chance against him bowling round the wicket.” Story continues below this ad “Started well and got the wickets as well. …

‘Who is KL Rahul?’ A question that is finally getting answered, and Indian cricket is better for it | Ipl News

‘Who is KL Rahul?’ A question that is finally getting answered, and Indian cricket is better for it | Ipl News

Published by Parlour News

As a teenager, it was his copybook batting technique that first caught the eye. He was Rahul from Bengaluru. How hard could it have been for Indian cricket to typecast KL Rahul as the next Rahul Dravid? This obvious comparison lasted for a while till he landed on the Koffee with Karan couch and made some very un-Dravid-like statements. It landed him in trouble, got him decoupled from his more famous namesake. Since then, KL Rahul has been an enigma – difficult to slot. He wasn’t a dasher, nor a stopper. He was popular but not really the posterboy. He didn’t have a type, there was never a consensus on him. This IPL, the question – ‘Who is KL Rahul? – is getting answered. He is getting defined. At the pre-season big auction, he flew under the radar. He moved from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to Delhi Capitals (DC) with a pay-cut and demotion. Season 18 isn’t likely to be his best-ever but could be the year he graduated – found his niche, and also …

KL Rahul makes the cut shot relevant in T20s | Ipl News

KL Rahul makes the cut shot relevant in T20s | Ipl News

Published by Webster

KL Rahul strips the late cut of its exoticism, rendering the artful stroke an everyman quality. He essays the stroke that makes purists purr in joy as though it were an afterthought, the lack of extravagance misconstruing an impression that it is the most natural stroke that flows from anyone who picks a bat ever. It’s a glorious exception. Even the most restrained batsmen are prone to some theatrics when they late-cut. Rahul Dravid, one of its eminent exponents, enacted a synchronised dance routine when he unfurled those crunching cuts. The initial forward press, the high-elbow jutting out, the swift shift to the back foot, the sinuous arching of the upper body to manufacture the room, knees bending and rising with the ball, the bat flapping in his flourish. Story continues below this ad Mahela Jayawadene made it look like a trick of the eye, like a magician performing the vanishing act. He paint-brushed it with minimal back-lift and follow-through, just dropping his bat on it, no ounce of control wasted in an unnecessary follow-through …

ICC Champions Trophy – How Shreyas Iyer & KL Rahul, played their contrasting roles to perfection in landmark Indian triumph | Cricket News

ICC Champions Trophy – How Shreyas Iyer & KL Rahul, played their contrasting roles to perfection in landmark Indian triumph | Cricket News

Published by Parlour News

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are two cricketers, in absolute contrast to each other, who have been immensely vital to India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph. Both have their detractors, but without them this win wouldn’t have been possible. Even in the final, their contrasting approaches stood out but entirely in character – Shreyas taking a couple of risks that would have got him out, and Rahul going the other way by eschewing risks altogether. But the truth is that both played their roles to perfection. Shreyas, who doesn’t take risks and doesn’t counterattack, is of no use to this Indian team; else he would be Rahul. Rahul who doesn’t avoid risks is of no use to this Indian team; else he would be Shreyas. Story continues below this ad When Shreyas charged out and nearly holed out to deep midwicket – it just about crept over the rope for six with a desperate Will Young trying his best to haul it back – that exactly was his job description. Stun the opponents with chutzpah. When …

‘Sometimes I’m sitting there thinking what more can I do’: KL Rahul on his stop-start middle-order role in ODIs | Cricket News

‘Sometimes I’m sitting there thinking what more can I do’: KL Rahul on his stop-start middle-order role in ODIs | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Despite establishing himself as one of the most consistent ODI batters at No. 5 and taking up the wicket-keeping gloves regularly since 2020, KL Rahul’s role in the spot has often been scrutinised. Dropped a rung lower to No. 6 in the Champions Trophy, with left-hander Axar Patel promoted up the order, Rahul applied his wares adeptly on Tuesday in the semi-final against Australia. The 32-year-old befittingly hit the winning runs, smashing Glenn Maxwell for a six over long-on in the penultimate over to seal a 265-run chase and a four-wicket victory for India to reach their fifth Champions Trophy final and a third in successio. “Yeah, I do [enjoy batting at the top], I mean I won’t lie,” Rahul told Star Sports after the game. “It’s after opening the batting in Australia in Test matches and having to face that attack in Australia and you know how red-ball [cricket] is much harder. I opened the batting there and then to come here and bat low seems a bit different, but this is how I’ve …

‘We were talking about him being India’s best batter…then you saw the failures again’: Manjrekar on KL Rahul’s Australia tour | Cricket News

‘We were talking about him being India’s best batter…then you saw the failures again’: Manjrekar on KL Rahul’s Australia tour | Cricket News

Published by Webster

KL Rahul’s decade-long Test career has been a repetitive tale of talent and unfulfilled potential and former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar was not pleased with how the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended for the Karnataka batter after a promising start. Despite being snubbed several times since making a Test debut on Boxing Day in 2014, Rahul has made comebacks only to find himself in the line of fire again. The recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy had Rahul win over the Indian fans and pundits after replacing captain Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in the first Test. Opening with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul’s stoic resistance with a second-innings 77 in Perth was crucial to set up a 295-run win. However, the 32-year-old’s shares dwindled considerably in the four subsequent matches. Rahul only achieved one more 50-plus score on the tour, scoring 84 in the third Test in Brisbane. Manjrekar lamented that Rahul missed the opportunity to make a career-defining impact in Australia. “I think now we know what KL Rahul is about. We were talking about him …

The coming together of KL and Rahul: As opener and mentor, KL Rahul finds happy space on tour of Australia | Cricket News

The coming together of KL and Rahul: As opener and mentor, KL Rahul finds happy space on tour of Australia | Cricket News

Published by Webster

KL Rahul had been just officially censured by the Indian cricket board for participating in a controversial episode of the talk show Koffee With Karan, along with Hardik Pandya. His friend David Mathias remembers meeting him the next day. “Oh there was nothing to talk about it at all. We have an unfiltered relationship – share everything really that upsets or excites us. That didn’t feature much. Mothers of our friends did say, ‘Oh but Rahul was such a good boy in that!’ The only thing KL told me is from now on if anyone asks you to recount any funny stories about me, tell them you have plenty but none to share!”. There are two Rahuls out there – the tattoo-loving, Pandya’s party-friend KL and the more sober Rahul, who grew up idolising Rahul Dravid’s batting. In times of crisis, KL takes the back seat, and the mature Dravid-ish Rahul version props up to take control. And there have been a few setbacks from injuries to being dropped to vicious trolling about his strike …

IND vs AUS: Scott Boland keeps his KL Rahul word, ‘gets on top’ of India opener in 3 balls at MCG | Cricket News

IND vs AUS: Scott Boland keeps his KL Rahul word, ‘gets on top’ of India opener in 3 balls at MCG | Cricket News

Published by Webster

The mind games have begun in Australia and pacer Scott Boland has struck first blood ahead of India’s gruelling summer challenge Down Under in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Limbering up to resume his Test duties alongside senior pacers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins, Boland made his intentions clear before the second unofficial Test against India A in Melbourne by handing a challenge to India batter KL Rahul. Rahul, under a scanner after losing his spot in the middle-order for the second and third Tests of a harrowing series defeat to New Zealand at home, had a point to prove while flying out early to join the India A squad. Furthermore, the Karnataka batter was pushed back to open as an audition for the vacant slot in captain Rohit Sharma’s potential absence in the first Test at Perth. Boland’s words on the eve of the second India A-Australia A contest at the Melbourne Cricket Ground would have put Rahul on his toes. “I was lucky to bowl to him in a Test over …