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KL Rahul confirms no. 6 spot for IND vs SA ODIs; Breaking down potential another blunder by BCCI

Abhinav Tyagi

KL Rahul for India - (Source: AFP)KL Rahul for India - (Source: AFP)

KL Rahul is all set to lead India for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. The right-handed batter has been named as a stand-in skipper for Shubman Gill, who is recovering from neck discomfort, sustained during the 1st Test vs South Africa.

Ahead of the 1st ODI, Rahul appeared before the press, where he dropped massive updates on India’s playing XI for the curtain-raiser. Rahul spoke at length about the return of Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Further, the keeper-batter also added that he will continue to bat at No. 6 despite the noticeable absence of Shreyas Iyer.

For the unversed, Rahul has played most of his ODI career at No.5 and did well for the Men in Blue. However, since the Champions Trophy 2025, the Gambhir management has pushed Rahul to No.6. Meanwhile, this article will shed light on why Rahul still playing at No.6 can be another blunder in disguise for the Men in Blue.

KL Rahul’s stats at No. 5 and how has he performed for team India

Criteria
Data
Innings31
Runs1299
Average56.48
Strike-rate96.36
100/502/9

Key takeaways

KL Rahul has phenominal numbers batting at No.5 as he has scored 1299 runs, averaging 56.48. Further, he has maintained a run-a-ball strike-rate, a great quality for an anchor and middle-order batter, who can rotate the strike.

Rahul has two centuries and nine fifty-plus scores batting at No.5, a position that allows him to play his natural game and bat according to the situation. Rahul has the abilitiy to play an anchor and also aggressive brand of cricket. 

Thus, at No. 5,  KL can take his time to settle and then lodge the big hits to put a respective total on the board.

KL Rahul’s stats at No. 6 and how has he performed for team India

Criteria
Data
Innings10
Runs243
Average40.50
Strike-rate94.19
100/500/0

Key takeaways

At no.6, KL Rahul has seen a dip of average of  16 from 56.48 to 40.50 when he gets demoted down the order to No. 6. Now, there are a lot of challenges for the right-handed batter when he bats at No.6. 

Firstly, KL gets to bat fewer overs, resulting in the team expecting him to score at a higher rate, which is a difficult task for KL. For the DC star, it is easier for him to settle to the conditions and then take the charge, rather than going all out aggressive from the start, which is the demand for a No. 6 batter.

 Further, if we look at his stats at No. 6, then Rahul has failed to score a solitary fifty or a century, which is a concerning sign for team India.

KL Rahul's demotion - why is it a sign of blunder

India are looking to fixate Rahul's position at No.6 is problamatic because this decision is going against his very nature and style of play. Rahul loves to build his innings and No. 5 suits him the best as even the stats suggest. However, the management is trying to bring in more batters at the top-order and pushing KL down, doing injustice towards the right-handed batter.

Instead, KL is the most suitable option to bat at No.5 and have the likes of Hardik Pandya at No. 6, which brings the utmost stability in the team and most importantly, Pandya too can play more aggressive brand of cricket than Rahul towards the death.