Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir lauded opener KL Rahul’s brilliant fifty in India’s recent win over Bangladesh in Adelaide on November 2nd. India won the match by 5 runs via the DLS method and moved one step closer to the semi-finals qualification.
KL Rahul came into this match on the back of single-digit scores in the previous three matches, including a duck against Pakistan. Much was being written about him possibly being replaced by Rishabh Pant, but coach Rahul Dravid had confirmed that the team management was backing the Karnataka lad.
Rahul came good finally as he made 50 in 32 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes to his name, helping India post 184/6 in 20 overs with Virat Kohli also scoring 64*. Then despite Litton Das’s brilliant half-century and late overs hitting by Nurul Hasan and Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh couldn’t achieve the revised target after a 30-min rain interruption and lost by 5 runs.
Talking about KL Rahul’s knock, Gambhir brushed off any speculation that the opener was not in form and how he needs to be backed along with his teammates in the top order.
"When he got a fifty against Australia in Brisbane (in the warm-up match), everyone was going crazy. He is probably going to light up this World Cup. A bad inning does not make you a bad player, neither does it make you a great player. So, you probably need to be more balanced. You got to give them time and then that one shot over point probably changed everything. He is back in form, and he was always in form," Gambhir said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Live'.
"Yes, there are times when you want to contribute, you know that this is a World Cup and the entire world is looking at you. And if you have not had the best of starts, it does not mean you are a bad player. If India has to win the World Cup, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, these three have to deliver along with Hardik Pandya, who is an X-factor. So, yes, he is back in form and hopefully, he can continue this form and be as aggressive as he can be, because no one can stop him, the way he wants to play, only he can stop him," he added.
Apart from Gambhir, former India coach Sanjay Bangar also lauded KL Rahul and said that the feedback he received from his team and management has had a positive impact on his game.
"See, KL Rahul has been along for a long time now. He made his debut in Australia in 2014/15. I was part of that tour at that time. He has a special ability. He scored a century in his second match. So, we all knew he was a special player who is going to serve India for a long time. His technique is tremendous, and in times like this when you have had poor scores, you certainly require the support of your teammates, not only lip service, but honest discussions as well," said Bangar.
And that is where that honest feedback from somebody, who has seen you from a very young age and seen the progress you have made during the course of your career has been tremendous and that is where KL Rahul was special. His innings actually for the first five-six balls, the way he left those deliveries, which meant he was not inching, he was not rushing through, and that there was a calmness around him. That helped him get that innings of substance," he added.
India is at the top of the Group 2 points table with six points and three wins in four matches and will take on Zimbabwe in a must-win game in Melbourne on November 6.
(ANI inputs)
