After getting outclassed by South Africa, India will look to bounce back to winning ways when they take on struggling Bangladesh, on 2nd November. Rahul Dravid, the head coach, has confirmed that KL Rahul, who is going through a rough patch, will continue to open the innings, alongside captain Rohit Sharma.
Rahul has been at the receiving end of intense criticism after he failed to pile up anything substantial in the first three matches of the T20 World Cup. The next game is going to be a crucial one for Rahul, as another failure means his place in the team will come in jeopardy.
Ahead of an important clash against Bangladesh, Rahul was seen sweating it out in the net session, alongside the batting coach Vikram Rathour and former captain Virat Kohli.
Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach, was also present, and had a long chat with Rahul. In the middle of the session, Kohli walked up to Rahul, and offered him some tips on body movement and his footwork.
#TeamIndia #T20WorldCup
Virat Kohli advising KL Rahul on his feet and batting stance.
📹: @pdevendra pic.twitter.com/wQcvFiaXHa
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) November 1, 2022
Rahul has managed just 22 runs in three matches, and his inability to capitalize on the Powerplay has left a massive burden on Virat Kohli and the middle order. India would be hoping that Rahul gets back in the rhythm ahead of the semi-finals.
“No, not at all (his technique, and mindset bothering you?). He is a fantastic player, he has got a proven track record. He is batting superbly (at the nets). And these things can happen. In a T20 game, it’s been tough. It’s not been easy for top-order batters in this T20 World Cup. The ball has been doing a bit,” Dravid told the press ahead of India vs England match.
Rahul Dravid said “Me & Rohit dont have absolutely no doubt who will open, I know how much impact KL Rahul can make”.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 1, 2022
Rahul Dravid said, “we completely back KL Rahul and we’ve no concern about him”.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 1, 2022
In case Rahul fails to turn things around, India will have to try out different opening combinations in the middle of the tournament. One option is to promote Virat Kohli as an opener, a role which has brought the best out of him in the IPL. Another is to replace Rahul with a left-handed batter in Rishabh Pant.
Lead Image: KL Rahul/Twitter
