KL Rahul expresses frustration on questions over his place: 'Whatever Rohit told me, I've done to best of my ability'

KL Rahul made an honest admission that he enjoys batting at the top order but is ready to do whatever his captain tells him to do, as he has started flourishing at number 6 in ODIs. The stylish batter started his international career as an opener, but he was pushed down in the middle order due to the team's demands and a big void in the middle order. The 32-year-old has shown versatility in everything the team management asked him for as he has started to become indispensable in the middle-order. India's KL Rahul played a unbeaten 42-run knock against Australia in the semis.(AFP)

In the all-important Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia, Rahul took charge and shifted the momentum in India's favour by putting his foot on the accelerator at the right moment. The wicketkeeper batter scored an unbeaten 42 runs off 34 balls to make it a cakewalk for India in the final phase of the chase. In the end, he finished the job with a six to take India over the line at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The 32-year-old talked about the transition from opening the innings in red-ball cricket during the Australia tour to batting at number 6 is different.

"Yeah, I do [enjoy batting at the top], I mean I won't lie," Rahul told Star Sports after sealing India's spot in the final. "It's after opening the batting in Australia in Test matches and having to face that attack in Australia and you know how red-ball [cricket] is much harder. I opened the batting there and then to come here and bat low seems a bit different, but this is how I've played white-ball cricket in the last four-five years," he added.

Rahul said during the ODI series against Sri Lanka, he learned about the team's plans for him to bat at number 6 as India decided to use a left-hander to up the order.

"So, I'm quite used to going up and down the order so I'm just happy getting a chance to play in the middle and whatever role is given, I think it's really helped me understand my game a lot more and I've had to work on boundary hitting a lot more in the last year or so because the last ODI we played in Sri Lanka I batted at No. 6, so I knew that's where I'll be batting and [we] needed a left-hander in the top order," he added.

However, it isn't the first time Rahul has been assigned the role of middle-order batter in ODIs. He has been doing so since 2020 and also did well there during the 2023 World Cup at number 5.

"Honestly, I mean it's since I think 2020 I've batted at No.5 and a lot of times people forget that that's where I've been batting," Rahul said.

'Sometimes I'm sitting there thinking what more can I do': KL Rahul

The wicketkeeper expressed his frustration over the doubts over his place in the playing XI despite doing whatever the skipper Rohit tells him to do.

"And every time I perform in a series and then there's a break from ODI series, ODI cricket and then we come back after four or five months there's a question mark again about 'oh well will he play in the XI, where does he fit' and sometimes I'm sitting there thinking what more can I do. Everywhere that I've been asked to play I've played and I feel like I have performed my role. Whatever's been told to me by Rohit [Sharma], Rohit's been the captain for the last four-five years," he added.

Meanwhile, he also acknowledged the support Rohit has shown him over the years which has been a confidence booster for him.

"And whatever he's told me I feel like I've done that to the best of my ability. And I know that Rohit feels the same and he's always supported me and backed me with that. So, there's that confidence going into game that the captain has my back," he concluded.

Click here to read article