After KL Rahul‘s undefeated knock helped India win the first ODI against New Zealand by a slim margin in Vadodara on January 11, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded Rahul for his poise, flexibility, and finishing abilities.
In a thrilling final at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets after Rahul stayed in the game at 29 off 21 as they chased down a total of 301. Despite a momentary wobble in the middle order, his composed presence at the crease made sure India crossed the line.
All-rounder Harshit Rana joined Rahul in the middle, putting pressure on India as they chased the score at 242/5. The cricketer from Karnataka decided to anchor the innings and carefully manage the pursuit because wickets were dropping at regular intervals.
By carefully batting, he and Rana formed a 37-run partnership that gave the young player the freedom to attack while preventing New Zealand from getting a chance to get into the Indian tail. KL Rahul and Washington Sundar scored 27 runs after Rana was out, with Rahul being responsible for scoring the most of the runs.
Until the 49th over, the right-handed batter refrained from making powerful shots. When 12 runs were needed from the last 12 deliveries, he changed tactics dramatically, hitting back-to-back boundaries before completing the match with a six in the penultimate over to give India the victory.
KL Rahul maturity and game knowledge were praised by Aakash Chopra, who compared him to former India captain MS Dhoni for his composure under duress.
“In this first ODI against New Zealand, KL Rahul’s batting strategy was intriguing. He is a known aggressive player. But he was different here, batting alongside an injured Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana. He took his time, despite your frequent expectation that he would speed up and end the match with a powerful shot. In the 49th over, he found the boundary after hitting a ball that wasn’t a boundary. On Jiostar, Chopra remarked, “He has the ability to find boundaries easily and he hits his shots when he wants.”
KL Rahul adaptability to various roles within the squad setup was further highlighted by Chopra.
The former cricket player who is now a commentator even noticed that his batting style was similar to that of former India captain MS Dhoni.
“He was waiting for the ideal opportunities, but he was taking singles off balls that he often smashes. On the other hand, his greatest asset is his versatility. He will open, hold the wickets, or serve as the interim captain if you ask him to. He has yet to bowl; that is still waiting. Hats off to KL Rahul for managing the chase so brilliantly in these final overs, controlling his nerves almost like Dhoni. He is thriving in the most difficult position in contemporary cricket: finisher,” he continued.
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