KL Rahul’s innings in the final of the Cricket World Cup against Australia has been a topic of discussion since India’s loss on Sunday. While he top-scored for the Indian cricket team with 66 runs, his slow-paced innings has raised questions.
Rahul’s 66 runs came off 107 deliveries and included just one four. The slow nature of his innings has been criticized, although it is worth noting that there were regular dismissals at the other end. Former Pakistan cricket team pacer Mohammad Amir believes that Rahul’s innings put pressure on Virat Kohli, the only other half-centurion for India in the final.
Amir pointed out that there were three turning points in the match. When Shubman Gill got out, Kohli came in and started with three fours, maintaining a strike rate of over 100. Rohit Sharma also started hitting boundaries, including a six and a four off Glenn Maxwell, before getting out. According to Amir, Rahul’s slow innings increased the pressure on Kohli, who had to take charge as the captain.
Amir expressed surprise at Rahul’s slow approach, as he is known for playing with a good strike rate. He believes that Rahul’s slow innings affected the team’s performance, saying “Waha pe kaam kharaab ho gaya” (I feel that is where things started to go downhill).
Shoaib Malik, another former Pakistan player, also criticized Rahul’s innings. According to Malik, Rahul was trying to bat through the 50 overs instead of playing his natural game. He believes that in tough conditions where boundaries are hard to come by, Rahul should have focused on rotating the strike instead of accumulating dot balls.
Malik acknowledged that Rahul often takes responsibility when India loses quick wickets upfront, but his approach in the final was not in line with his usual game. He felt that Rahul should have been more proactive and played his shots instead of solely focusing on playing the entire fifty overs.
Overall, the slow-paced innings by KL Rahul in the Cricket World Cup final has drawn criticism from former Pakistan players Mohammad Amir and Shoaib Malik. They believe that his approach put pressure on Virat Kohli and cost India the game.
