Picture Credit: X
On Tuesday, March 4, Rohit Sharma-led Team India got better of Australia in what was a rematch of the 2023 ODI World Cup final. The Men in Blue registered a comfortable four-wicket win against the Aussies in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to get a step closer to another ICC trophy.
While Virat Kohli played a crucial 84-run knock, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul also shone with the bat, playing a gritty knock of 42 runs. During his 34-ball stay, KL Rahul smashed two fours and as many sixes, at a strike rate of 123.53 to help Indian cross the line and setup the final in Dubai. After India’s win, head coach Gautam Gambhir opened up on picking KL Rahul over star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.
Rahul’s average in ODI cricket is 50: Gautam Gambhir on picking KL over Pant
Speaking at the post-match press conference, a reporter questioned Gambhir of picking KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant. "Rahul’s average in ODI cricket is 50 (sic 48.53). That’s the answer," replied Gambhir. The former India cricketer further added, "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 responded after another query was raised on KL Rahul's position.
Speaking of KL Rahul’s innings, the wicketkeeper-batter went onto breach the 3000 run mark in ODIs. He took 78 innings to achieve this milestone in his nine-year stint in the format so far.
