K.L. Rahul’s 108 in 99 balls against Bangladesh in India's second warm-up match at the ICC World Cup 2019, has raised pertinent questions over his inclusion in the team’s playing XI. After failing to make an impact against New Zealand in India’s first warm-up match by scoring just six runs, he took this opportunity to shine for the Men in Blue.
With both Dhawan and Sharma failing in overcast conditions, K.L. Rahul came in to bat at No.4 with India was reeling at 50 for 2 in the 14th over. He went on to hit a classy hundred in 94 balls, also sharing a 164-run partnership with M.S. Dhoni, who scored a hundred as well. His hundred included a wide range of shots, slamming 12 fours and four sixes.
He has been struggling in the Test format since the South African tour last year. After suffering the embarrassment of a BCCI suspension (for passing derogatory comments on the popular talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’), he sealed his spot in the World Cup squad by emerging as Kings XI Punjab’s best batsman in IPL 2019. "Time-out from the game gives a player an opportunity and time to reflect on himself and his cricket. It wasn't any different for me," said the Karnataka batsman.
Experts predict the pitches in England to be flat with short boundaries—making 350-plus scores highly likely. With both Sharma and Dhawan failing to make an impact in the warm-up matches, it could come down to the middle-order batsmen to score at times of need.
With West Indies scoring 421 against New Zealand in the warm-up match, it hints at a World Cup where team effort will be crucial to scoring and chasing large targets.
To this end, one of the major concerns of the Indian cricket team has been the No.4 slot in the batting lineup. He will have to play the roles of both anchor and aggressor, which demands flexibility. “The biggest positive from today was the way K.L. [Rahul] batted at No. 4, everyone else knows their roles. It is important that he gets the runs and he is such a class player,” said Virat Kohli after the warm-up match against Bangladesh.
With all-rounder Vijay Shankar and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as possible contenders, will K.L. Rahul seal the No.4 spot? It is up to captain Kohli to decide, but Rahul’s hundred has certainly come at the right moment.