Talk about grabbing chances with both hands, and KL Rahul will be right up there. Not only with his exceptional batting, but the 31-year-old has also sealed the wicketkeeper spot in the ongoing Asia Cup. There were a few concerns about how Rahul would go behind the stumps. But Rahul has put those doubts to bed by keeping for close to 90 overs in India’s two consecutive matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Apart from scoring a scintillating 100 against Pakistan, KL Rahul was also tidy behind the stumps against Pakistan. But against Sri Lanka, the wicketkeeper batter pouched a good low catch and also made a very smart stumping of the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav. Rahul’s superb glovework has also made him edge ahead of Ishan Kishan as the wicketkeeper batter in the team.
When quizzed during the interview, Rahul stated he practiced wicketkeeping drills a lot at NCA.
“It has been some time since I played some cricket, and so far, it has been good,” said Rahul while addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo after India’s Super Four match against Sri Lanka.
“I trusted my preparation for the last three or four months and was confident I could do the job. I was nervy initially, but once I faced a few balls, it was back to normal.”
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KL Rahul: Rahul makes a great comeback, seals number five and wicketkeeper slot for World Cup
For the uninitiated, Rahul was named as the 13th member of the squad during the IND vs. PAK clash, as Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were designated number 3 and 4. However, Iyer faced back spasms, and he was forced to sit out. Rahul batted at number four and scored an unbeaten 111. In the next game against Sri Lanka, Rahul was again the top scorer, scoring 39 runs.
With no official statement given on Iyer’s return, Rahul has sealed one of the middle-order spots. With Kishan also scoring four fifties in six games, the southpaw is a sure-shot starter in the playing XI. Iyer’s fate hangs in balance owing to the less amount of game time he has got in the Asia Cup since returning from a back injury.
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