Wanted: Clear role for KL Rahul

There has been a lot of chatter on social media and many column inches in newspapers debating how New Zealand’s ODIs could serve as a warm-up for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Many believe that the conditions in New Zealand mirror those that India may face in South Africa next year. Judging by the bounce and movement one saw in Auckland and Wellington in the first two ODIs, that argument might not be too far from the truth. However, the Indian team management may have come across an uncomfortable truth.Their best No. 5 batsman is in the XI but not batting there.For too long in his 12-year international career, KL Rahul has been seen as India’s cricket sidekick. Someone who can fill in the gaps rather than command a role. He opened, batted in the middle order, kept wickets, played as a finisher and even served as shortstop whenever injuries or team combinations required adjustment. In many ways it was used as India’s “spare tyre”. Someone who is always there when needed but rarely provides the security that other batsmen enjoy.Ironically, whenever Rahul was given a clearly defined role, he flourished. Let’s take Test cricket. He bounced around for years until Gautam Gambhir’s management promoted him as a special opener from the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025. The result was immediate. With clarity came consistency; Rahul’s numbers have improved significantly.But now he faces a similar decision in ODI cricket. The first two ODIs against New Zealand reinforced why Rahul may be better suited at No.5 than No.6, especially outside the subcontinent. In Auckland, India’s middle order faltered after the dismissal of Virat Kohli. In Wellington, the collapse was even more pronounced as Kohli departed early and India slumped to 113/7 in pursuit of just 135 before being rescued by rain and DLS.These were not conditions that required brute force shots and adventures with head-to-head duels and left-to-right combinations. The ball flexed, there was variable bounce and amazing movement throughout the innings. These were conditions where batsmen had to silence their egos and rely on organized technique to survive and take the team home.Therein lies Rahul’s value. Shreyas Iyer and Rahul were India’s most convincing batsmen in Wellington as they were able to absorb the pressure. Rahul’s unbeaten 26 won’t feature on his CV, but it was an innings that India needed the most.In contrast, Axar Patel never looked comfortable. Twice in this series he promoted to 5th place and twice tried to make it. The role made sense in India and at the Champions Trophy in the UAE and the T20 World Cup in 2024 where the wickets were slower as he could hit the spinners and smash a bunch of right-handers. He looks much less convincing on pitches offering assistance to fast bowlers.The numbers prove the point.Rahul has scored 1,646 runs in ODIs at No.5 at an average of 68.58 with a strike rate in excess of 103. Axar averages 30.41 in the position. Overseas, Axar’s average drops below 20.One can understand why team management likes the idea of ​​Axar as a floater. It also happened in the era of Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma. India appreciates a left-to-right combination to use unequal dimensions of certain reasons. And with Hardik Pandya unavailable to bat at No. 6, they need batting depth at No. 8. But in trying to compensate for Hardik’s absence, is India at risk of another position? If Hardik at 6th and Rahul at 5th is the World Cup plan, why wait till 2027 to implement it?The World Cup will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, countries where early starts, fresh pitches and quality bowling will put the middle order under relentless scrutiny. Their technique trumps theory.India should use this period to give Rahul a role rather than treating him as a floating solution. Although Axar’s whiteball skills have been on the wane of late, he remains a valuable asset. However, his optimal use could be lower down the order, where his finishing ability and left-arm spin provide the balance. Why burden him with the responsibility of rebuilding the innings in the event of a top-order collapse?Rahul has been adapting to what the team needed for too long. Maybe it’s time for the team to adapt to what Rahul does best.