CHENNAI: It’s no secret India has three similar kinds of batters at the top in T20Is. During the 2021 T20 World Cup, when then India skipper Virat Kohli was asked if Ishan Kishan would replace Rohit Sharma in the playing XI, the answer was a counter-question and laugh. Earlier in July 2022, when the same question was posed to Rohit about Kohli, the former came out to his defence. In the Asia Cup, the stand-in skipper KL Rahul was asked about the possibility of Kohli opening the batting, and the 30-year-old replied, “Should I drop myself?” which sent out a laughter across the press conference room.
Although a serious question about the top-three has always been countered with a comical response, it is obvious there is more to it. With the T20 World Cup getting closer, it is clear they would not hesitate to drop one of Kohli or Rahul if push comes to it. After all, Rohit did say that Kohli could be used as an opener if needed. With Kohli getting his consistency back 352 runs in 8 innings with an average of 58.66 while striking at 141.93 the focus shifts to Rahul as India are trying to figure out their combinations in the series against South Africa that begins on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram.
Make no mistake, there is no question on Rahul’s ability. But it is the intent, Indian cricket’s favourite word, that comes into question. Having come back from injury in the Asia Cup, the 30-year-old seemed to struggle a bit to buy into the batting approach India are trying to take, especially while batting first. It is a trend one could see in the last few seasons of IPL as well. When in full flow, when he plays his shots without worrying about getting out, Rahul is one of the most destructive T20 batters in the world. And what more, there is very little technical weakness for any opponent to exploit as well. Which is why, when he scores at a strike rate of mid 120-130s before exploding big whenever he gets to bat through the 20 overs, it could get a bit frustrating.
However, as he got a bit of game-time, Rahul did get better. He has had two half-centuries at a strike rate over 150. And moreover, he himself has admitted improving the strike rate is something he is working on. “The roles that have been defined to each player in the last 10-12 months have been very clear… Obviously, I am just working towards how I can better myself as an opening batter, and see how I can have the most impact for my team whenever I go out to play in the middle,” he had said during the T20Is against Australia.
The series against South Africa will be crucial for Rahul and India as it would be their last bilateral assignment before the marquee event. Should the vice-captain’s batting approach or poor form continue in this series and early on in the World Cup, he might find himself out of favour with too many batters fighting for a spot in the middle-order. And, Wednesday should give a glimpse of how he is going to react.