Flamboyant India wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul (AFP Image)
KL Rahul admitted that when he first batted at number 5 it was very different for him as he played as an opener before that in his career.
Flamboyant wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul opened up on batting at the number 5 position in the One Day Internationals. Rahul, who started his career at the opener, was shifted to the number 5 after the 2019 World Cup to strengthen the middle order. Rahul didn’t find much difficulty adapting in the middle order as he managed to provide a much-needed balance in the batting order. The 29-year-old batter will be key for India in the upcoming ODI World Cup as he has been in decent form after returning from a long injury layoff.
Rahul admitted that when he first batted at number 5 it was very different for him as he played as an opener before that in his career.
“Batting at four and five doesn’t feel like a huge difference,” Rahul said in a post-match conversation with JioCinema after India’s three-match ODI series against Australia. “But yes, having opened the batting all my life – dropping to No. 5 seemed very different. I have been given that role for the last couple of years and I have played at that position for a long period of time. So, I understand the changes I have to make technically and mentally and when to take risks.”
The stylish batter said that during the forced injury break, he watched videos of players who mastered the number 4 and 5 position which helped him execute his plans in a better way.
“Also, I had some time away from the game – went back and saw a couple of videos of players who have done really well at No.4 and 5 and how they lead their innings. So, when I go into the middle I asses the conditions and execute the best that I can,” he added.
Talking about India’s preparations for World Cup, Rahul suggested that the Asia Cup was crucial for the team as every game was a must-win there.
“The last few weeks have put everyone in a similar mindset,” he said. “The Asia Cup was really important for us, every game was a must-win game, and we were playing very competitive games,” he added.
Rahul suggested that it’s a good sign for India that the players did well in their assigned roles during the Asia Cup and Australia ODIs.
“Same here during this series, we played a very good Australian side and they have had the edge over us in India in the last couple of years. So, we tried to do our best – we were assigned very specific roles and asked to execute them the best we could. Luckily for us, a lot of guys did that really well. So hopefully, we can build on that and get better as a team,” he added.
