Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn feels that experienced wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul would have no trouble scoring centuries if he was promoted to No. 3 or used as an opener. His comments came after Rahul played a superb late-overs knock during India’s defeat in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur.
Rahul had already impressed in the first match of the series in Ranchi with a classy 56-ball 60, and he looked even stronger in Raipur, finishing unbeaten on 66 from 43 deliveries. Leading the side for the series, Rahul has continued to bat in the middle order, a role he has taken up in ODIs for the past few years.
Speaking about the star batter after the second ODI, Steyn remarked on Star Sports:
“He just knows how to do it. Again, if he batted 3 or if he opened the batting, I am pretty certain he would also go on to get the hundreds because of the lack of deliveries faced. But those positions are for other players, and he knows what his role is within this team. And both games so far, he has played fantastic innings.”
Dale Steyn further added:
“A good, handy knock set by the skipper, KL, and he led his team well in the first one, managed to up the ante when he needed to. And again today, there was a period where he went semi-slow with Jadeja. South Africa bowled well in that little transitional period there, and the last over picked up the most expensive over of the innings.”
KL Rahul’s ODI Role: Performance By Batting Position
KL Rahul has built an impressive ODI record, amassing 3,218 runs at an average of 49.50 and a strike rate of 89.48 across 90 matches. Early in his career, he regularly opened the innings, scoring at an average of 43.57 in 23 knocks at the top of the order. Three of Rahul’s seven ODI tons also came while opening.
Interestingly, despite his class, he has not found much success at No. 3, managing an average of only 25.66 from three outings in that position. However, Rahul has been exceptional in the middle order. He averages above 55 while batting at No. 4 and No. 5, and over 43 at No. 6 in 13, 32, and 11 innings, respectively.
Since 2023, he has occupied these middle-order roles consistently while also serving as India’s wicketkeeper in ODIs.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
