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Team India gunned down World Champions Australia by four wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal to storm into the grand finale. Either South Africa or New Zealand will join India in the Champions Trophy 2025 which is slated to be played on March 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Virat Kohli's masterful 84-run knock was the cornerstone of India's successful run chase, but KL Rahul's crucial unbeaten 42 also proved instrumental in guiding the team to decisive win over Steve Smith's brigade. It was Rahul's finishing touch, a towering six off Glenn Maxwell, which sealed the win for Rohit Sharma & Co.
Gautam Gambhir addresses KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant debate
Meanwhile, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir is happy with the way Rahul is going about his batting in the Champions Trophy. Gambhir finally addressed the ongoing talks surrounding the decision to prefer KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant. With only one game remaining in the tournament, Gambhir addressed the questions about Pant's absence, citing Rahul's superior ODI batting statistics as the key factor in his selection. He clearly said that the team's decision was based on performance data, justifying Rahul's inclusion in the playing eleven.
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"Rahul’s average in ODI cricket is 50 (sic 48.53). That’s the answer," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference after India downed Australia by four wickets in Champions Trophy semifinal.
"In a sport like cricket and in a team sport, numbers don't matter, batting positions don't matter, it's the impact that matters. You should only be thinking about protecting yourself in the playing level and rest whatever is needed of you to do it for the team, you should be happily doing it and KL Rahul has done that and KL has done that really happily and he has done that really well at No. 6 as well. People keep talking about it, I don't know for how long they have been talking about it, that why we pushed KL at number 6," Gambhir further added.
"Just we feel that he gives us more depth and that is how we want to play the game and the conversations which I have had with him or the conversations which I have had with everyone is exactly the same. In a team sport, especially in cricket and in this format, we are not going to talk about batting positions. We are going to talk about how can we create that impact and what is needed of the team and we will continue doing that," India's two-time World Cup winner concluded.
KL Rahul's unbeaten 42-run innings which was studded with 2 fours and as many sixes, also propelled him past the 3,000-run milestone in ODI cricket which he achieved in 78 innings over his nine-year career.
Rahul's career is marked by constant scrutiny and adaptability. Regardless of the format, he faces ongoing discussions about his performance, both positive and negative. His T20 standing has recently been questioned, while his Test role remains fluid, oscillating between opening and middle-order positions. Often, these shifts are dictated by team needs, forcing him to adapt, even if it means taking on wicket-keeping duties.
In ODIs, however, his place in the team is virtually assured. His exceptional versatility is a key asset, making him invaluable to the squad. During the Champions Trophy, for example, his ability to open the innings or bat in the middle order provided crucial flexibility. He's proven his reliability in the middle order, notably during the 2023 World Cup, where his presence at No. 5 provided stability to India's aggressive batting approach. His outstanding record at that position, with an average exceeding that of even MS Dhoni.
