"Knows What His Role Is Within This Team": Dale Steyn's Huge Praise For India Star

KL Rahul has been playing his batting role to perfection during India's ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa. The player is being predominantly used by the team as a finisher in the format this year. The usual batting spot for Rahul has been number 6, and he has fared well in that position. The batter has provided the India innings some crucial impetus while coming in at number 6 and 5 in the first and second ODIs against the Proteas, respectively. While the first game saw Rahul scoring an unbeaten 60, he slammed a 66 not out in the second contest.

Impressed with Rahul's second consecutive fifty against South Africa, bowling great Dale Steyn heaped praise on the player.

"A good, handy knock set by the skipper, KL, and he led his team well in the first one, managed to up the ante when he needed to. And again today, there was a period where he went semi-slow with Jadeja. South Africa bowled well in that little transitional period there, and the last over picked up the most expensive over of the innings," Steyn said on Star Sports.

"He just knows how to do it. Again, if he batted 3 or if he opened the batting, I am pretty certain he would also go on to get the hundreds. But those positions are for other players, and he knows what his role is within this team. And both games so far, he has played fantastic innings," he added.

Rahul's knock in the second ODI went in vain as South Africa scripted a historic chase to take the series to the decider.

The Proteas defeated India by four wickets in the high-scoring contest in Raipur on Wednesday. Getting an invitation to bat first, India posted 358 for 5 in the allotted 50 overs, thanks to Virat Kohli's 53rd ODI hundred and Ruturaj Gaikwad's maiden ton in the format.

In reply, the Proteas reached home in 49.2 overs, riding on a century from Aiden Markram (110) and fifties by Matthew Breetzke (68) and Dewald Brevis (54). This became the joint-highest target successfully chased down against India in the format. Australia did it back in 2019, and South Africa repeated it six years later.

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Dale Steyn KL Rahul India vs South Africa 2025, India