Can KL Rahul be the new Rahul Dravid?

Published on: Jan 19, 2020 10:43 am IST|Updated on: Jan 19, 2020 10:43 am IST

Got selected as a No.4 in World Cup, KL Rahul scored runs. Dhawan got injured at World Cup, KL Rahul became opener and scored runs. Virat Kohli demoted himself, KL Rahul scored runs at 3. And when asked to bat at No.5 in the 2nd ODI’s against India, KL Rahul performed and became a finisher, when regular wicket keeper Pant got injured KL Rahul stepped in that role and did it brilliantly. Is there something that KL Rahul cannot do at the moment? This man has done everything possible for the team in the past 9 months.

It is like what Harsha Bhogle mentioned “if you are from Karnataka and if your name is Rahul you should able to play at any position and keep wickets for the sake of team”.

KL Rahul emulating Rahul Dravid

With KL Rahul permorming well at all batting positions and doing all the jobs that the team entrusts him to do, social media started drawing comparison between the two Rahul’s. KL Rahul’s
dual responsibility handling capability reminded fans of Rahul Dravid of the early 2000’s wherein Dravid kept wickets for India as per the team requirement as Indian team lacked good enough wicketkeeper who could also fill in as a batsman. Dravid also like KL had batted at different positions for team India as per the team requirements. With what we have seen of him so far, KL is capable of doing all those things that Dravid did for Team India under Dada .

KL Rahul shines as a finisher and keeper

Rahul finished on a 52-ball 80, an innings that included three sixes and six fours. In an Indian innings where no batsman scored at over a strike rate of 110 despite being a flat wicket, Rahul’s breathtaking strike-rate of 153.85 was refreshing for India.

What it also brought to the forefront was the new role for Rahul in the side. With Rishabh Pant injured and the back-up keepers with the India A team in New Zealand, Rahul was the keeper in the side.

Keeping at international level batting at number five is an entirely new job for KL Rahul. Still he managed to effect a lightning stumping.

“Batting at 5, I wanted to give myself a few balls, you know what the wicket is doing and Virat said that it’s coming on nicely,” Rahul said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

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