KL Rahul‘s elegant 32-ball 50 in India’s tense five-run win over Bangladesh in their men’s 20-20 World Cup Group 2 match at Adelaide Oval put an end to a string of single-digit scores in the tournament. His innings featured three fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 156.25.
Rahul displayed high-quality shots in a poised and composed knock. As the race for the semi-finals heats up, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir believes Rahul will light up the tournament.
“When he got a fifty against Australia (in the practice match) in Brisbane, everyone was going crazy. He is probably going to light up this World Cup. A bad innings 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. 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 haven’t had the best of starts, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad player. He’s 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,” said Gambhir on ‘Cricket Live’ show on Star Sports.
We all knew he’s a special player: Sanjay Bangar
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar went on to explain how the candid feedback Rahul received during his slow start in international cricket had a positive impact on his game.
“See, KL Rahul has been along for a long time now. He made his debut in Australia 2014-15. I was part of that tour that time. He has a special ability. He scored a 100 in his second match. So, we all knew he’s a special player, who’s going to serve India for a long time.
“His technique is tremendous, and times like this when you’ve had poor scores, you certainly require the support of your team-mates, not only lip service, but honest discussions as well. And that’s where that honest feedback from somebody, who has seen you from a very young age and seen the progress you’ve made during the course of your career has been tremendous and that’s where KL Rahul was special,” he said.
