KL Rahul slammed 129*, his highest ODI score in a losing cause.
India struggled a bit, but thanks to Rohit Sharma’s 92 and KL Rahul’s stupendous 129*, they put 351/7 in 50 overs. In response, Windies captain Shai Hope made 162*, and Amir Jangoo’s 67 helped them win the game by 5 wickets.
KL Rahul scored his highest score in ODI cricket, hitting 10 fours and 6 sixes, helping India put a very good score on the board. He has been in excellent form with the bat since taking over the lead wicketkeeper-batter role in ODIs in 2023, after Rishabh Pant’s near-fatal accident.
Rahul, since then, has not vacated that role and has a better record as a designated keeper. He has 2025 runs in 58 ODIs as keeper, with 4 centuries and 12 fifties and an average of 59.55, compared to 1516 runs in 43 ODIs, where he didn’t keep wickets for India and averaged 43.31.
“Yeah, very happy. Firstly, I wanted some time in the middle. I think the last time I really got some time in the middle batting in ODI cricket was in early January, and since then I haven’t really gotten a lot of time. I got a quick knock against Afghanistan, but I was searching for some time in the middle. It’s a big year, with the ODI World Cup around the corner, so it’s important for me to get that game time,” Rahul told the broadcasters after the match, as quoted by India Today.
Rahul had faced only 37 balls in ODIs across seven matches, since his unbeaten 112 against New Zealand earlier this year in Rajkot. He didn’t bat in the first two ODIs as well against West Indies, but when he got a chance to show his might in the middle, Rahul made sure to make it count.
“Off the field, I’m trying a few things, and I want to test that in the game. Only then will you know whether what you’re doing and the work that you’re putting in behind the scenes is working or not, or what you need to do differently. So, yeah, it was important for me to get some game time, and I’m happy about that,” Rahul added.
Rahul is the India vice-captain in Tests and has captained India in ODIs as well previously. He is a vital cog in India’s combination going into the World Cup 2027, someone who can help the team depend on either accelerating in the death or playing a knock like he did in the third ODI and save the team from a difficult start.