KL Rahul commenced his sojourn to South Africa on Tuesday evening. During his sojourn, he is slated to captain the Indian team in three One-Day Internationals and participate in two Tests against the Proteas. It is a turning point in Rahul’s career, as he is given an expanded responsibility as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
Although it would be premature to refer to this as KL Rahul 2.0, it is indisputable that this signifies the beginning of an entirely new phase in his cricketing trajectory, as the era of the opener is set to fade into the annals of history.
There is growing evidence to suggest that he will not only be responsible for handling the pads during the three ODIs, but will also assume the wicketkeeping responsibilities in the Test matches. Although Ishan Kishan has secured a spot in the 16-man squad, confidential information indicates that Rahul, as he has done in ODIs for some time, will be the preferred wicketkeeper.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) season approaches, Rahul’s transition into a middle-order batsman will be closely monitored in the coming months, specifically during the two Tests against South Africa, the five Tests that follow, and the upcoming season. In the final Test he participated in, which was held in New Delhi against Australia, he also initiated the innings.
Inspiring indications suggest that Rahul is determined to establish himself as a middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper. Although assuming the keeping duties may make middle-order the most natural position for a batsman in Tests, he is currently striving to improve his strike-rate in order to be effective in the new role across all formats.
Even though he has spent the majority of his IPL career opening the innings for the Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul is anticipated to play in the middle order. According to a source with knowledge of the Indian team’s development, “He desires to establish himself as a middle-order batsman across formats by evolving his style.”
Rahul, who spent the majority of his nine-year international tenure opening for India in 44 Tests, 23 ODIs, and 55 T20Is, is reportedly sincere about this transition and intends to concentrate solely on the middle-order position. It is not difficult to comprehend his recent confidence in the ODI format, specifically in the Asia Cup and the recent World Cup, where he amassed a noteworthy 452 runs at an average surpassing 75 in ten games.
Motivated by his achievements in the middle order, Rahul reportedly engaged in dialogues with chief selector Ajit Agarkar as well as the team administration, which included captain Rohit Sharma and mentor Rahul Dravid. Achieving a middle-order position in all formats, including Twenty20 Internationals, where he has fallen out of position, is the principal aim. According to individuals with knowledge of the discussions, Rahul seems resolved to reclaim his Twenty20 International starting position for the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup.
Rahul, who has historically occupied the opening position for his franchises in the IPL, has contemplated the possibility of transitioning to a middle-order position with the Lucknow Super Giants. Considering the presence of Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, and new recruit Devdutt Padikkal – all recognized openers- in the Lucknow Super Giants side, discussions about a potential shift to the middle order have taken place.
