"Virat Kohli Overshadowed Everything": India Great Names 2 Stars Who Deserved More Credit In Ranchi

Former India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth suggested that Virat Kohli's century in the first ODI against South Africa overshadowed the efforts of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja. Kohli slammed a brilliant 135 to help India post 349/8 at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. In reply, South Africa fell short of the total by 17 runs in the end despite a late fightback from the likes of Marco Jansen, Matthew Breetzke, and Corbin Bosch. As fans and experts praised Kohli for his knock, Srikkanth, however, claimed that the partnership between KL Rahul (60 off 56 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (32 off 20 balls) deserved more credit.

Kohli was dismissed in the 43rd over, before captain Rahul and Jadeja added 65 runs for the sixth wicket. Srikkanth added that Rahul's "silent job" was overshadowed by the chatter surrounding Kohli's brilliance.

"His (Jadeja) knock of 29 (32) from 17 (20) balls went unnoticed. He also actually played at a different level. The final KL Rahul-Jadeja partnership was outstanding but went unnoticed. That was a key and both clobbered the bowling given their strike rates in the partnership. Nobody saw that effect because everything was overshadowed by Virat Kohli's knock. They did the job silently without making noise about it," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

The former India captain, however, questioned the decision to send Washington Sundar ahead of Rahul, who according to Srikkanth should never bat below No. 5.

"I don't know about Washington Sundar going ahead of him. If KL Rahul had batted higher in the order, it would have been better for India. He should never go below 5. Yes, it was a successful move in the Champions Trophy. But I don't think you should make it a habit. He should be batting at No. 4 or 5. Washington Sundar can go as a finisher rather than coming in at No. 5," he added.

"Classy Rolls-Royce Rahul, India can't do without him. He scored his 60 with effortless ease. Once he struck that six off Burger, he was unstoppable. But I don't understand why KL Rahul comes into bat at No. 6. He should be batting at No. 4 or 5, not beyond that. I don't understand this logic at all," Srikkanth questioned.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Virat Kohli KL Rahul Ravindra Jadeja Krisnamachari Srikkanth India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket