KL Rahul‘s’ 52-ball 80 in the second ODI seemed to have solved the middle-order problem for the Indian cricket team. Virat Kohli confirmed KL being the preferred keeper in the shorter formats. On the other hand, the Indian cricket captain already warned New Zealand about the upcoming series.
KL to handle the job of keeper
Kohli said that Rahul’s inclusion to the team provides a good balance and also allow the team to play an extra batsman. He went on to bring the example of Rahul Dravid was seen in a similar role in the 2003 World Cup. “It definitely allows us to play an extra batsmen which strengthens our batting massively. That is a very important factor as far as the team balance is concerned. If you look at the 2003 World Cup where Rahul bhai started keeping, the balance became different because you could play an extra batter and guys at the top could really play positive cricket.”
KL Rahul’s flexibility seems to have impressed the skipper the most. His understanding of the game is helpful to the team according to Kohli. “He is very open to playing anywhere because he is a proper batsman and does good in any format and any position in the game. He won’t go slam-bang from ball one but he can do what he did in Rajkot just playing good cricketing shots. So I think solid game plan and understanding of his game is helping. He has reflected on what he needs to do in the last five-six months and he has come a long way.”
Confident team travelling to New Zealand
With India’s tour set to kick off with a T20I in just four days time, Kohli feels that winning this series against Australia will matter. This win will boost the confidence of the team and set the tone right. He also recalled the last face-off with the Kiwis and hoped to take the same intensity.
“Last time we beat New Zealand in both series (one) so we’re taking a lot of confidence from that. We were very positive in how we played, very sure of what we wanted to do. The thing about playing away is if you’re able to put the home team under pressure, you can enjoy your cricket. You have to win at home, there’s that sort of feeling. So if you bring out your A game, you can really put them under pressure. That’s what we did last year, squeezed them in the middle overs, picked up wickets, spinners were outstanding. Looking forward to taking that same intensity into the series.”
