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Four centuries, 10 fifties and an average of 68.58 at no. 5, but the Indian team management has opted to push KL Rahul down to no.6 spot in ODIs. The wicketkeeper-batter had been shifted from the opener role to no.5. But, in the current ODI setup, it is Axar Patel who has been trusted to make the no.5 role his own. In the ongoing ODI series, questions have been raised over the middle order. But the think tank seems to be giving more weightage to having a left-right combination instead of Rahul at no.5. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak backed the move ahead of the third ODI.
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“Yes, one reason is definitely the left-right combination. Another factor is recognising KL’s strength in finishing games. Furthermore, Axar has often batted at number five in ODIs; he is a capable batter," Kotak said while speaking at the pre-match press conference in Hamilton.
In the ODI series opener in Auckland, Axar was dismissed for a two-ball duck by Jacob Duffy. In the Wellington ODI, he became Matthew Fisher's only victim of the evening. He managed to score just seven runs from 17 balls.
In the first ODI, Rahul remained unbeaten for three runs. In the second ODI, he walked in to bat at 47 for four wickets. He held on to one end while Shreyas Iyer, Naman Dhir and Anshul Kamboj departed. Before rain played spoilsport, he was batting on 26 runs from 38 balls, including two fours and as many sixes. India were 110 after 26 overs in the run chase of 135 when rain stopped play. India ended up winning the ODI by four runs as per the DLS method.
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The batting order was questioned, with many wondering why Rahul was held back. Kotak defended the call, saying if it had worked, people would have hailed it.
“The reality is, if a tactic does not yield runs, people question why the player was sent up; if it works, people call it a brilliant move. That is just how it goes," Kotak said.
Axar, Rahul’s batting numbers at no.5 in ODIs compared
Axar has been backed by head coach Gautam Gambhir to bat higher up the order. So far, the southpaw has batted at no.5 in 13 ODI innings, scoring 365 runs at an average of 30.41 and a strike rate of 87.11. He has a solitary half-century at no.5 which came on the England tour.
Meanwhile, Rahul has scored 1,646 runs from 36 innings at no.5 in ODIs. While his average nears 70, his strike rate at no.5 is an impressive 103.19, better than any position in ODIs he has batted. He has four tons and 10 fifties in ODIs at this position.
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How has Rahul fared at no.6?
At no.6, Rahul has scored 374 runs from 17 innings at an average of 37.40 and a strike rate of 95.89. He is yet to score an ODI ton at no.6. His highest score at this number is 60, which came against South Africa last year.
Kotak lauds Rahul’s adaptive nature
Kotak has praised Rahul for answering the team’s call as per the requirement.
“I think KL Rahul’s biggest advantage is that he can open in red-ball cricket and bat in the middle order in white-ball cricket. Whenever required, he can also go with five overs left. His record there is also very good. So, he plays according to the team’s needs,” the batting said.
The 54-year-old hasn't seen Rahul crumble under pressure since he joined the coaching staff.
“Since I have joined, I cannot remember many matches in which he has got an opportunity to bat but has not contributed. He has played some unbelievable innings, and he never looks under pressure,” he said.
“You always see him looking very stable. Most of the time, probably all the time, he has never let the team down”
Kotak also pointed out Rahul's ability to rotate the strike and how he can break free and hit big shots at will.
“It is brilliant to have someone like him who has experience, temperament and the ability to rotate the strike, hit boundaries and, when required, easily hit a few sixes. That’s a great thing to have,” he further added.
Rahul in elite list of India ODI wicketkeeper-batters
Rahul is India's third player to score 2,000-plus ODI runs as a designated wicketkeeper-batter. The list is headed by former captain MS Dhoni with 10,599 runs. The second batter on the list is Rahul Dravid with 2,300 runs from 64 innings as a wicketkeeper-batter. Rahul has kept gloves in 60 ODIs and scored 2,054 runs from 52 innings at an average of 60.41, featuring four tons and 12 fifties.
Rahul’s last ODI appearance before Test series
Rahul will play his last ODI on the tour in Hamilton. After the third ODI of the series on November 10, the 34-year-old will join the camp for the two-Test series against New Zealand alongside skipper Shubman Gill, Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav. As a wicketkeeper, Rahul will be replaced by Ishan Kishan, with uncapped Kumar Kushagra as cover.
The Test series will begin on November 19 at Basin Reserve, Wellington. Rahul did not have ideal batting preparation for the Test series. He was dismissed for 0 and 4 in the first unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A in Lincoln. Before that, he registered scores of 4 and 1 for Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 clash against Andhra.
This will be the first time Rahul will be playing a Test on New Zealand soil. However, he has played two Tests against New Zealand. From four innings, he has scored just 82 runs at an average of 20.50. His highest Test score against New Zealand is 38.
Meanwhile, Rahul's opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal has found form in red-ball cricket after a disappointing outing in the first game. He has followed up his unbeaten 155 in Christchurch with another ton in Lincoln in the ongoing third four-day game of the series.
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