KL Rahul: The all-weather ODI batter keeping India steady
toi
newspoint|09-11-2026
HAMILTON: KL Rahul has transformed into a middle-order rock, capable of switching gears and roles with utmost ease in India's ODI set-up. Ever since he was moved down the batting order, the wicketkeeper-batter has been doing the heavy lifting for the side and continues to perform his role to perfection. To achieve this consistency, Rahul has spent hours in the nets, using different methods to ensure he is ready to weather any storm that comes the team's way.
Slow turners in Dubai. Check.
Flat tracks in India. Check.
Seaming tracks in New Zealand. Check.
Easier said than done, but the stability and fluency he has brought to the batting line-up speak volumes about his character and strong mindset. Rahul has excelled in whatever situation the team has demanded of him. There have been numerous instances when he has played the role of an accelerator, accumulator or rebuilder, and not once has he looked out of place. More importantly, he has never looked out of his depth.
For someone who opens in Test cricket, adjusting to batting lower down the order in ODIs is more than a subtle change. But Rahul has used different methods to avoid the madness. At the Dubai nets during the 2025 Champions Trophy, the focus was on teeing off from ball one against the old ball. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the emphasis has been on ensuring a tight set-up and getting enough repetitions in to trigger muscle memory.
Sitanshu Kotak, who has overseen countless net sessions, is not surprised that Rahul rarely appears under pressure in clutch situations.
"I think Rahul's biggest advantage is that he is opening in red-ball. Sometimes he goes at No. 5 in ODIs - his record is so good there - and he is so good at No. 6 also. So he plays according to the need of the team. And since I have joined, I can't remember many matches where he got batting and he has not contributed. He has played some unbelievable innings and under pressure, he never looks under pressure," said Kotak at the pre-match press conference.
"I have never seen KL under pressure, so you always see him very stable and most of the time he has never let the team down, so that is brilliant to have someone like him who has that experience. That temperament and that game also. Someone who can rotate, who can hit boundaries when required. He can easily hit a few sixes, so that is a great thing to have someone like KL," added Kotak.
Even while preparing for different roles and situations, Rahul rarely gives the impression that he is doing anything different. The designated No. 5 for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup faced a lot of flak for his knock in the title clash, which unfairly overshadowed his contributions earlier in the tournament, including the tone-setting 97 against Australia in Chennai.
Rahul walked in with the scoreboard reading 2/3 during the 200-run chase and helped push the team over the line in the tournament's opening match.
A similar situation unfolded in the second ODI in Wellington when a top-order collapse reduced India to 39/3. However, the team management persisted with Axar Patel at No. 5, keeping Rahul at No. 6. He has been batting in that position for quite some time, and the second ODI was another reminder of his all-weather skills in the format.
The sample size was not big enough to grab headlines, but the unbeaten 26 off 38 balls had class written all over it. Rahul battled Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy with authority. There was awkward bounce and enough seam movement to keep batters from both teams on their toes, but Rahul remained unflinching.
The ease with which he dealt with chin music would have provided another layer of assurance to the dressing room about his ability to handle whatever comes their way in the build-up to the next fifty-over extravaganza and the tournament itself.
With the conditions in South Africa in mind, there is strong chatter about promoting the wicketkeeper-batter back to No. 5. While this may seem like a change to the outside world, it is just a number for Rahul.
The conditions, situation and batting position may change, but the rock holding India's middle order together will remain the same.
Slow turners in Dubai. Check.
Flat tracks in India. Check.
Seaming tracks in New Zealand. Check.
Easier said than done, but the stability and fluency he has brought to the batting line-up speak volumes about his character and strong mindset. Rahul has excelled in whatever situation the team has demanded of him. There have been numerous instances when he has played the role of an accelerator, accumulator or rebuilder, and not once has he looked out of place. More importantly, he has never looked out of his depth.
For someone who opens in Test cricket, adjusting to batting lower down the order in ODIs is more than a subtle change. But Rahul has used different methods to avoid the madness. At the Dubai nets during the 2025 Champions Trophy, the focus was on teeing off from ball one against the old ball. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the emphasis has been on ensuring a tight set-up and getting enough repetitions in to trigger muscle memory.
Sitanshu Kotak, who has overseen countless net sessions, is not surprised that Rahul rarely appears under pressure in clutch situations.
"I think Rahul's biggest advantage is that he is opening in red-ball. Sometimes he goes at No. 5 in ODIs - his record is so good there - and he is so good at No. 6 also. So he plays according to the need of the team. And since I have joined, I can't remember many matches where he got batting and he has not contributed. He has played some unbelievable innings and under pressure, he never looks under pressure," said Kotak at the pre-match press conference.
"I have never seen KL under pressure, so you always see him very stable and most of the time he has never let the team down, so that is brilliant to have someone like him who has that experience. That temperament and that game also. Someone who can rotate, who can hit boundaries when required. He can easily hit a few sixes, so that is a great thing to have someone like KL," added Kotak.
Even while preparing for different roles and situations, Rahul rarely gives the impression that he is doing anything different. The designated No. 5 for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup faced a lot of flak for his knock in the title clash, which unfairly overshadowed his contributions earlier in the tournament, including the tone-setting 97 against Australia in Chennai.
Rahul walked in with the scoreboard reading 2/3 during the 200-run chase and helped push the team over the line in the tournament's opening match.
A similar situation unfolded in the second ODI in Wellington when a top-order collapse reduced India to 39/3. However, the team management persisted with Axar Patel at No. 5, keeping Rahul at No. 6. He has been batting in that position for quite some time, and the second ODI was another reminder of his all-weather skills in the format.
The sample size was not big enough to grab headlines, but the unbeaten 26 off 38 balls had class written all over it. Rahul battled Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy with authority. There was awkward bounce and enough seam movement to keep batters from both teams on their toes, but Rahul remained unflinching.
The ease with which he dealt with chin music would have provided another layer of assurance to the dressing room about his ability to handle whatever comes their way in the build-up to the next fifty-over extravaganza and the tournament itself.
With the conditions in South Africa in mind, there is strong chatter about promoting the wicketkeeper-batter back to No. 5. While this may seem like a change to the outside world, it is just a number for Rahul.
The conditions, situation and batting position may change, but the rock holding India's middle order together will remain the same.
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