KL Rahul's Form Slammed by Former India Captain Kris Srikkanth

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has questioned head coach Gautam Gambhir's decision to push KL Rahul down to No. 6 in the ODI series against England. Srikkanth argued that constant experimentation disrupted the batting unit at a crucial stage.

What happened in the ODI decider?

The UK tour ended on a disastrous note for India as the visitors lost the ODI series against England after suffering defeats in the T20I series against the same opponent and Ireland. In the decider, India's innings began on a positive note as skipper Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma laid a solid platform with a half-century and a century, respectively. Virat Kohli followed at No. 3, while Kishan was promoted to No. 4. The move failed to pay off, with Kishan managing just 14 before Iyer departed without scoring.

Why it matters for KL Rahul

KL Rahul eventually walked in with the asking rate spiralling, leaving little time to settle. The right-hander made 12 off eight deliveries before Jofra Archer dismissed him, effectively ending India's hopes of pulling off an unlikely chase. Srikkanth pointed out that Rahul, one of India's more experienced middle-order batters, arrived only after Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, despite the high-pressure chase in the series decider, where India were set a daunting target of 388.

What comes next?

Srikkanth also drew parallels with India's recent T20I tour of Ireland and England, where the management rotated opening combinations involving Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi across seven matches. According to the former opener, the continued reshuffling reflects a lack of stability in the team's approach. "Will anyone send KL Rahul at No. 6 when chasing such a huge total? That guy has won you so much in tough run-chases. Just like you messed up Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, now you are messing up KL Rahul. Is Rahul a No. 6 or 7 batter? This is a gross injustice," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

What's next for KL Rahul?

Rahul played just two ODIs in the three-match series against England as he missed out on the second game due to illness. In both the games he played, Rahul walked out to bat at No. 6, returning with scores of 1 and 12. The defeat sealed a 27-run loss for India and handed Gambhir's side its third consecutive ODI series defeat away from home since he assumed charge of the team's 50-over setup in mid-2024.

The T20I series also saw India dropping Samson after three failures. The continued reshuffling reflects a lack of stability in the team's approach, and Srikkanth believes that KL Rahul's form has been affected by the constant experimentation. "India needed someone to do the Jos Buttler role. That's where Kishan and Shreyas Iyer got out right away. But if Rahul had gone in at No. 4, he would have complemented Virat Kohli like they did a few times in the 2023 World Cup. Rahul is capable of accelerating easily. Instead, they sent him out to bat when the match was over. How was he possibly going to win the game needing 15 per over with Axar Patel?" he added.

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