During the 2025 Champions Trophy, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised KL Rahul for his unflappable knocks. Despite being moved to No. 6 in the batting order, the wicketkeeper-batter excelled at playing the role of finisher.
According to Manjrekar, KL Rahul mentality was preventing him from succeeding sooner.
The wicketkeeper-batter was instrumental in India’s first Champions Trophy victory in twelve years, and the cricketer-turned-commentator praised his efforts.
Rahul took India home by remaining undefeated in the semi-final match against Australia and the final match against New Zealand. After struggling under duress against the Australians in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Manjrekar stated that these knocks were crucial for him.
“He was carrying that bogie from that final when he played a little slowly, so it was very crucial for him. In that frank conversation, he said that it bothered and wounded him. What I admired most about him over these two innings was his mindset while he was pursuing. “He appeared really at ease,” Manjrekar remarked in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.
“KL Rahul’s sole adversary is not the bowler but rather his own mentality. Additionally, he appeared to be completely at ease and content to simply continue. He has complete control over the powerful people. Therefore, all of that was wonderful to witness,” Manjrekar continued.
The 2025 Champions Trophy performance of KL Rahul in terms of numbers
Rahul finished the 2025 Champions Trophy with 140 runs from five games. In three of the four innings he played in the event, he was undefeated. He scored 42* (34) in the semi-final and 34* (33), respectively, in the final.
Rahul had a respectable performance with the gloves as well, recording the tournament’s most wicketkeeper dismissals. During the eight-team event, he made five catches and caused one stumping.
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