How KL Rahul Built Pressure On Virat Kohli In World Cup Final, Pakistan Star Explains

KL Rahul top-scored for the Indian cricket team in the final of the Cricket World Cup against Australia. However, his 66 runs came off 107 deliveries and consisted of one four. The slow nature of the innings came under question though the counter-point to that is the fact that there were regular dismissals at the other end. So, KL Rahul's innings has been a topic of discussion since the time India lost the final to Australia in Ahmedabad on Sunday. 

Former Pakistan cricket team pacer Mohammad Amir has said that KL Rahul's innings put pressure on Virat Kohli, the only other half-centurion for India against Australia in the final. Apart from them, Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma scored 47 off 32 balls on a pitch that in the first innings looked quite slow.  

"There were three turning points when you already knew that the wicket was slow. When Shubman Gill got out, Virat Kohli came in and started with three fours. The strike rate was 100-plus. Rohit Sharma also started hitting. He hit a six and four off Glenn Maxwell and then got out. When you know that the next batters would struggle, you are the captain...," Mohammad Amir said on a show called 'Haarna Mana Hai.'

"Then I couldn't understand, for reason I don't know, KL Rahul played a very slow innings. He built the pressure on Kohli. He [Rahul] is not a player who plays slowly. He plays with a good strike. Waha pe kaam kharaab ho gaya (I feel that is where things started to go downhill)."

Mohammed Amir exposed Rohit Sharma called him "senseless" . His senseless approach costed India the WC. #Worldcupfinal2023 #WorldCup #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/cFbLwvF4vn

— Sumit (@here4kohli) November 20, 2023

The wicket-keeper batter's poor strike rate in the middle-order cost India the game, said another former Pakistan players Shoaib Malik.

"KL Rahul was just trying to bat through the 50 overs. He should not have done that and should have tried to play his game. If you're batting in tough conditions and the boundaries aren't coming easily, then at least you've got to rotate strike. That wasn't happening, there were a lot of dot balls," Shoaib Malik in a chat on A Sports.

"He has been taking a lot of responsibility when India lose quick wickets up front. If you will see his today's innings 66 off 107 balls, it was not a KL Rahul innings. He went into a zone, where he only wanted to play the whole fifty overs. He should have been a little more proactive," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team KL Rahul Virat Kohli Mohammad Amir World Cup 2023 Cricket