KL Rahul: The all-weather ODI batter that keeps India steady

KL Rahul bats during the second ODI in Wellington. (AP photo) HAMILTON: KL Rahul has turned into a middle-order rock who can switch gears and roles with utmost ease in India’s ODI setup. Since being moved down the batting order, the wicketkeeper-spinner has been doing the heavy lifting for the side and continues to fulfill his role to perfection. To achieve this consistency, Rahul spent hours in the nets and used various methods to ensure he was ready to weather any storm that came the team’s way.Slow turning in Dubai. Control.Flat tracks in India. Control.Breakthrough tracks in New Zealand. Control.Easier said than done, but the stability and fluidity he brought to the batting line-up speaks to his character and strong mindset. Rahul has excelled in whatever situation the team has asked him to do. There were many instances where he played the role of Accelerator, Accumulator, or Rebuilder, and never once did he look out of place. More importantly, he never looked out of his depth.For someone new to Test cricket, adjusting to batting lower down the order in ODIs is more than a subtle change. But Rahul used various methods to avoid the madness. At the Dubai nets during Champions Trophy 2025, the emphasis was on batting from the first ball against the old ball. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the emphasis was on securing a solid set-up and getting enough reps to trigger muscle memory.Sitanshu Kotak, who has overseen countless clean sheets, is not surprised that Rahul rarely appears under pressure in clutch situations.“I think Rahul’s biggest advantage is that he opens in the red ball. Sometimes he gets at No. 5 in ODIs – his record is so good there – and he’s so good at No. 6. So he plays to the needs of the team. And since I’ve joined, I can’t remember many matches where he’s been batted and he’s never contributed under pressure. He’s played incredible pressure and pressure in matches,” said Koch incredible pressure, power-play. press conference.“I’ve never seen KL under pressure so you always see him very steady and most of the time he never let the team down so it’s great to have someone like him who has that experience. That temperament and also that game. Someone who can spin, who can hit boundaries when needed. He can hit a couple of sixes easily so it’s great to have someone like KL,” added Kotak.Even as Rahul prepares himself for different roles and situations, he rarely gives the impression of doing anything else. Designated No.5 for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup, he faced many setbacks for his batting in the title race, which unfairly overshadowed his contributions earlier in the tournament, including a ton of 97 against Australia in Chennai.Rahul came in with figures of 2/3 during the 200-run chase and helped take the team over the line in the opening match of the tournament.A similar situation unfolded in the second ODI in Wellington, when a top-order collapse reduced India to 39/3. However, the team lead continued with Axar Patel at 5th and Rahul at 6th. He has been batting in this position for quite some time now and the second ODI was another reminder of his ability in the all-weather format.The sample size wasn’t big enough to make headlines, but an unbeaten 26 of the 38 balls had class written all over them. Rahul battled Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy with authority. There was some awkward bounce and enough seam movement to keep batting from both teams on their feet, but Rahul remained steadfast.The ease with which he dealt with the music on his chin gave the dressing room another layer of confidence in his ability to handle whatever comes their way in the build-up to the next fifty-over-50 extravaganza and the tournament itself.Given the conditions in South Africa, there is strong talk of promoting the wicketkeeper-batsman back to No. 5. While it may seem like a change to the outside world, it’s just a number for Rahul.Conditions, situations and batting positions may change, but the rock holding the Indian middle order together remains the same.