Indian captain KL Rahul (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: KL Rahul’s transformation into India’s most reliable ODI finisher has triggered a wave of praise, but none louder than South African pace legend Dale Steyn, who believes the wicketkeeper-batsman masks even more batting potential. With unbeaten fifties in the ongoing three-match series against South Africa, Rahul has not only stabilized India lower down the order, but also impressed Steyn to the point where the former pacer called him a “hundreds machine forced to retire”.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Rahul, now predominantly batting at No.5 or No.6, hit 60 in Ranchi and followed it up with 66 off 43 balls in Raipur. Even though India lost the second ODI after South Africa dragged out the record chase, Steyn could not ignore the impact Rahul had on the innings. Speaking to Star Sports, he highlighted how Rahul had mastered the art of acceleration at the death despite fewer balls.
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“Good, skilful knock from the KL captain and he led his team well in the first. Even in the second game, he knew exactly when to go slow and when to explode,” remarked Steyn, pointing to Rahul’s game awareness in the tight middle stages alongside Ravindra Jadeja.Steyn then made a surprising claim – Rahul, usually denied top-order opportunities, could have sent many more centuries if he had batted higher.
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“He just knows how to do it. If he was batting 3 or opening, I’m pretty sure he would have scored hundreds. But those positions are for other players and he knows what his role is in this team,” Steyn said, calling Rahul’s adaptability an invaluable asset for India.Despite Rahul’s heroics, India’s 358/5 – powered by centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad – was not enough to prevent a spectacular four-wicket victory for South Africa, led by Aiden Markram’s 110. With the series now level at 1-1, Visakhapatnam in the decider on December 6 for not just the Ral but another title.
