"Pushing Him Below Axar Patel Or Ravindra Jadeja A Cardinal Sin": Ex-India Batter On Veteran Star

KL Rahul scored a gritty century while batting at the number five position during India's second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot on Wednesday. After scoring 29 not out in the first game against the Black Caps, Rahul followed it up with an unbeaten 112-run knock off 92 balls, with the help of 11 fours and one six. Impressed by his batting performance in the second ODI, former India batter Dodda Ganesh urged the team management to let Rahul continue batting at the number five position in one-dayers.

"Kannur Lokesh Rahul! This is what he can do at no 5 in the ODIs. For heaven's sake, please let him bat there," Dodda Ganesh wrote on X.

Kannur Lokesh Rahul!

This is what he can do at no 5 in the ODIs. For heaven's sake, please let him bat there #INDVNZ

— Dodda Ganesh | (@doddaganesha) January 14, 2026

He added that Rahul should be brought in to bat ahead of the likes of Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja. Pushing him below them would be a "cardinal sin", wrote the former India batter.

"This is why I was always harping about having KL Rahul at no 5, in the ODIs. KL knows to pace the inns well, and has all the shots in his armoury to go all-out in the death. Pushing him to no 6, below Axar/Jadeja, is going to be a cardinal sin. KL is Rolls-Royce," Dodda Ganesh wrote in another post on X.

This is why I was always harping about having KL Rahul at no 5, in the ODIs.
KL knows to pace the inns well, and has all the shots in his armoury to go all-out in the death. Pushing him to no 6, below Axar/Jadeja, is going to be a cardinal sin.

KL is Rolls-Royce. Use him #INDvNZ

— Dodda Ganesh | (@doddaganesha) January 14, 2026

KL Rahul hit his eighth ODI ton, continuing his fine run as a middle-order batter, doubling up as an accumulator and finisher.

KL entered the crease when India were three down for 115 and soon witnessed Virat Kohli's stumps removed for 23. However, KL carried on for almost 30 overs, playing a brilliant knock.

Since 2025, Rahul has found a quicker gear and tempo in ODIs, batting in the middle-order and scoring 283 runs from overs 41-50 at a strike rate of 140.09, with his run count being the best and strike rate being the fourth-best after West Indies' Justin Greaves (194 runs at 160.3), New Zealand's Glenn Phillips (244 runs at 157.4) and Janith Liyanage of Sri Lanka (201 runs at 147.8).

Entering the 41st over, KL had hit 52 in 53 balls, with six fours, at a strike rate of over 98. Completing the innings, he hit 60 in his next 39 balls, with six fours and a six at a strike rate of over 153.

KL, now batting at the sixth position more frequently as a finisher, is a masterful accumulator at number five. In 33 innings at number five, KL has made 1,477 runs at an average of 64.21, with a strike rate of 99.59, including three centuries and 10 fifties.

At number six, KL has made 332 runs in 12 innings at an average of 47.42, with a strike rate of 99.10 and a fifty. He is making sure to either finish the game or not let the game finish for India with his versatility as a batter.

Since last year, batting mostly at six and on three occasions at five in ODIs, KL has scored 508 runs in 16 matches and 13 innings at an average of 72.57, with a strike rate of over 112, including a century and two fifties.

(With ANI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team India vs New Zealand 2026 KL Rahul Doddanarasiah Ganesh Ravindra Jadeja Axar Patel