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“I don’t understand why…”: Srikkanth calls out management for demoting Rahul at no. 6

Poulomi Chakraborty

Srikkanth  on KL Rahul's batting position (Source: @SuryahSG/x.com, @HardCricketpix/x.com)Srikkanth  on KL Rahul's batting position (Source: @SuryahSG/x.com, @HardCricketpix/x.com)

Last night, the entire nation erupted in joy with Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI ton, as the India-South Africa first ODI turned out to be a pure thriller. After India piled up 349, the Proteas roared back in the chase, but the Men in Blue held their nerve to seal a heart-pounding 17-run win.

Amidst their batting brilliance, Washington Sundar’s failure at the number five position grabbed the attention. Weighing in on the move, Krishnamachari Srikkanth blasted the decision to push KL Rahul down to No. 6, calling it a baffling call.

Srikkanth wants Rahul at no 5 and Sundar as India’s new finisher

After a humiliating Test series defeat, Team India made a fierce bounce back in the fifty-over format. Even after an early dismissal, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s outstanding partnership turned the flow. But amid the run riot, Washington Sundar’s early fall in just 13 runs raised eyebrows.

Adding to this, skipper KL Rahul came to bat at the number six position and slammed a crucial half-century to push India towards a giant total. After Sundar’s failure, Srikkanth slammed the management for pushing Rahul at number. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he insisted Sundar belongs in the finisher’s role, not at No. 5.

“I don’t know about Washington Sundar going ahead of him. If KL Rahul had batted higher in the order, it would have been better for India. He should never go below 5. Yes, it was a successful move in the Champions Trophy. But I don’t think you should make it a habit. He should be batting at No. 4 or 5. Washington Sundar can go as a finisher rather than coming in at No. 5,” he said.

“Classy Rolls-Royce, Rahul, India can’t do without him. He scored his 60 with effortless ease. Once he struck that six off Burger, he was unstoppable. But I don’t understand why KL Rahul comes into bat at No. 6. He should be batting at No. 4 or 5, not beyond that. I don’t understand this logic at all,” he added.

Srikkanth hails the KL-Jadeja partnership

After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to international cricket after a month, the world was busy hailing their heroics in the last game. But the real game-changer came after their dismissals, when KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja stitched a crucial 65-run partnership to push India to a massive 349. Reflecting on their effort, Krishnamachari Srikkanth hailed their impactful stand.

“His (Jadeja) knock of 29 (32) from 17 (20) balls went unnoticed. He also actually played at a different level. The final KL Rahul-Jadeja partnership was outstanding but went unnoticed. That was a key and both clobbered the bowling given their strike rates in the partnership. Nobody saw that effect because everything was overshadowed by Virat Kohli’s knock. They did the job silently without making noise about it,” he added.

Apart from Rohit’s fifty and Kohli’s 52nd ODI ton, the other Indian stars were not far behind. As South Africa unleashed a fierce chase, Kuldeep Yadav ran through the Proteas with a four-wicket haul. Harshit Rana’s timely spells sealed the deal, guiding India to a thrilling 17-run triumph.