The highlights package of an India-Australia ODI in Rajkot in January 2020 must be close to KL Rahul’s heart. He may want to relive that day during his lows and draw inspiration from his versatility in an Indian top-order packed with heavyweights.
He can credit his consistent progress to the unwavering support from team management across various roles and formats over the years. Despite his remarkable skills, Rahul’s international career has been somewhat inconsistent compared to his senior teammates, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, his career has taken a significant upswing since the Asia Cup last month in Sri Lanka. After a three-month injury break following the last IPL, the Karnataka batsman initially found himself on the bench. However, an injury to Shreyas Iyer opened up an opportunity in the middle order.
ALSO READ: Kohli and Rahul’s ability to hold nerves ensured India had last word against Australia
Rahul made the most of this chance by scoring an unbeaten 111 against Pakistan in the Super Fours. He continued his fine form with three impressive fifties, highlighted by a 97 not out in India’s World Cup opener in Chennai against Australia.
India’s top-order has looked solid throughout this World Cup despite a blip in the opening match against Australia, where the top three trudged back without marking their presence. Since then, captain Rohit and Kohli have been in sublime form, topping the charts after four league games.
Meanwhile, Rahul has established himself as an accumulator-finisher. While he has not been a regular wicketkeeper for most of his international career, Rahul has also impressed with his glovework. In hindsight, the 31-year-old has not allowed India to feel the absence of Rishabh Pant in the 50-over format.
This is a Rahul like you have never seen before. He will not eat up deliveries and make you pull your hair but rather punish the bowlers at will with an enviable array of strokes.
Indian batter KL Rahul plays a shot during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, Sunday. | Photo Credit: PTI
A glimpse of Rahul’s potential as a strong middle-order batsman emerged in that one-day game in Rajkot. Substituting for the concussed Pant, it was Rahul’s first day as an international wicketkeeper, and he was batting at number five. He scored 80 from 52 balls, effected a stumping and took two catches. He was rightfully named Player of the Match, a title he secured again in his recent performance against Australia in the World Cup.
“Once I got a couple of balls out of the middle of the bat, it just became about bat and ball. All the other things in your mind fade away,” Rahul said after his then-captain Kohli described the knock as the “best he’s played at international level.”
So what has made him tick in the middle order?
Rahul now finds himself in a rare zone of batters who fall under the ‘lesser the balls, better the bat’ template. He can weather a storm if needed and rotate and strike briskly while playing in the middle order. Rahul serves as the ideal bridge between India’s vaunted top order and the tail.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | HS | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | |
| Overall | 65 | 61 | 2441 | 50.85 | 87.42 | 112 | 6 | 16 | 190 | 55 |
| At no. 4 and 5 since 202 | 32 | 29 | 1379 | 66.95 | 95.16 | 112 | 3 | 10 | 103 | 40 |
Since his first match at No. 5 on January 16, 2020, Rahul has been the top run-scorer at positions 4 and 5 among all players in the 2023 World Cup, closely followed by Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka.
His lofty average (68.95) at these positions, with a minimum of 700 runs, is the highest. While he may not fit the typical description of a power hitter, Rahul is one of the fastest run scorers in the middle order, only surpassed by designated power hitters Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, and Jos Buttler based on the same criteria.
Among middle-order batsmen (positions 4–7) in the middle overs (11–40) since 2020, Rahul ranks second in terms of average, with 72.20, just behind Babar Azam. Rahul has scored 1083 runs from 1275 deliveries during this phase, and his strike rate of 84.94 is also quite commendable.
In the death overs (41-50), Rahul’s scoring rate is an impressive 151.08 runs per 100 balls. He has accumulated 349 runs in 14 innings during this phase, with 25 fours and 16 sixes. Among World Cup batters, he’s only surpassed by Markam and Mahmudullah.
Out of 32 innings at positions 4 and 5 since 2020, Rahul has accumulated 56.49 per cent (1379) of his career runs (2441). This already established him as one of India’s top middle-order batsmen since 2012. Rahul stands out with three centuries, the most for India, and the best average among the four batters who have scored over 1000 runs at these positions during this period. The other three are MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Shreyas Iyer.
India’s leading run-scorers at no 4-5 since 2012
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | HS | 100s | 50s |
| Suresh Raina | 64 | 1904 | 35.25 | 94.63 | 110* | 2 | 12 |
| MS Dhoni | 52 | 1842 | 44.92 | 85.59 | 134 | 1 | 12 |
| KL Rahul | 34 | 1438 | 59.91 | 93.19 | 112 | 3 | 10 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 35 | 1256 | 41.86 | 96.91 | 113* | 2 | 9 |
| Ambati Rayudu | 32 | 938 | 37.52 | 78.95 | 100 | 1 | 6 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 25 | 843 | 36.65 | 83.71 | 89 | 0 | 6 |
| Rishabh Pant | 23 | 802 | 36.45 | 109.71 | 125* | 1 | 5 |
| Virat Kohli | 18 | 679 | 45.26 | 98.97 | 139* | 2 | 4 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 26 | 650 | 27.08 | 88.79 | 150 | 1 | 3 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 25 | 545 | 36.33 | 69.33 | 64* | 0 | 3 |
Rahul’s performances in the middle order have displayed a mix of outcomes from 2020 to 2023. During this period, an experimental Indian team faced numerous batting collapses. Notably, five of Rahul’s seven fifty-plus scores, which included two centuries, resulted in defeats despite his efforts.
However, this year, Rahul’s contributions have become even more impactful, as all six of his fifty-plus innings have led to Indian victories. Remarkably, three of these came when the team lost three wickets in the first PowerPlay.
With Iyer and Hardik Pandya as his allies in the middle order, Rahul adds as much weight to India’s chances as anybody. He will hope to shut out the noise, continue the work, and lead India to World Cup glory after 12 years.
Entry Points and scores for Rahul since 2020 (batting in middle-order):
Data updated after the India vs Bangladesh World Cup 2023 match on October 19.
Comments
SHARE