Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has backed senior opener KL Rahul to finish his Test career with an average of 45. While acknowledging that reaching the mark would be challenging for the 33-year-old, Karthik remained confident in Rahul’s abilities.
Rahul had a standout series in England as an opener, amassing 532 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 53.20. He registered two centuries and two fifties, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer of the series, behind Shubman Gill (754) and Joe Root (537).
Despite his strong showing in the England series, Rahul currently holds a modest Test average of 35.41 across 63 matches. Karthik, speaking to Cricbuzz, admitted that the number doesn’t reflect Rahul’s true potential but expressed firm belief in the Karnataka batter’s future.
“I have a doubt that he’s going to change that to around 45-48. It’s really hard because he has played 60 Test matches. But, take it from me; KL Rahul will finish with an average of 45.”
Dinesh Karthik Lauds KL Rahul For Stepping Up As Senior Leader After Key Retirements
Dinesh Karthik lauded KL Rahul for taking on significant responsibility during the Test series in England, especially as one of the senior members in the squad after the retirement of several key players. The 40-year-old explained:
“As a pre-cursor to the series, three big names retired – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin. Walking into the series, there were two big names with experience in batting – one is KL Rahul, one is [Ravindra Jadeja].”
“KL Rahul has had great start to many a series, but has not finished strong. But I think, in this series, that young boy has actually grown into a man. He shouldered responsibility. He is probably the most technically sound player across both teams. And he backed his technique. Under pressure, he said, I will stick to my game plan and back my defensive skill,” Karthik went on to add.
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