K L Rahul's evolution as middle-order maestro

The two innings against NZ underline range of right-hander's game.

On Sunday in Vadodara, during the opening ODI against New Zealand, K L Rahul walked in at No. 6 with India suddenly under pressure. Three wickets had fallen in quick succession in what had appeared like a simple chase while Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were at the crease. For a few overs, tension hung in the air, but Rahul remained ice-cool and finished the job with minimal fuss.

Three days later in Rajkot, the script was familiar. This time, Rahul was sent in at No. 5 with India struggling at 118 for 4 before the halfway stage of their innings while setting a target. The circumstances were not very different from those in Vadodara in terms of pressure, and once again, the 33-year-old went about his rescue act with trademark calm.

His fluent 112 not out (92 balls, 11x4, 1x6) pulled India out of serious trouble and helped the hosts post a defendable 284. Although Daryl Mitchell’s superb 132 not out under pressure ultimately overshadowed Rahul’s eighth ODI hundred, his first since the 2023 World Cup, the transformation of the Karnataka batter into a dependable middle-order player has been one of the major takeaways in recent years.

An opener in his early years, Rahul has been moved around the batting order, often without much clarity. Yet he now appears to have found both purpose and comfort at No. 5, as the numbers show. He has played the most at that position, scored the most runs, averages the highest, strikes at the best rate and has more hundreds and fifties there than anywhere else.

“Number five, number six, honestly, I think, has helped me understand my batting a lot more,” Rahul said after the first ODI. “It’s a completely different challenge. I walk in at a stage like that where you need to hit a boundary, probably from ball one. And there’s so much pressure, and there are five fielders outside.

“When you’re opening the batting, you don’t see fielders at all. Everyone’s right next to you. So it’s much easier batting there. This (batting at No. 5 or 6) is a lot more pressure; one mistake, and you can be on the losing side, and all the blame comes on you. But it’s been exciting.”

Batting in the middle order is no easy task. It demands flexibility, game awareness and the ability to adapt to constantly changing situations. In both innings against New Zealand, Rahul showcased those qualities while making the job appear deceptively simple.

In the first ODI, the chase looked routine, something Rahul himself acknowledged later. However, any misstep could have exposed a fragile Indian tail, especially with Washington Sundar carrying an injury. Rahul had to keep the required rate under control without taking unnecessary risks and he did so with ease.

In the second match, the challenge was different. He had to be both the stabiliser and the aggressor, and he handled both roles effortlessly against a disciplined New Zealand attack on what seemed to be a sluggish surface.

Results may not always fall in his favour, but Rahul currently looks in complete command of his craft. Much of that, he suggests, comes from a positive headspace away from the game. Becoming a parent may have also given him a renewed sense of purpose and responsibility, something that has clearly translated into his cricket.

“I’ve been that kind of an individual where if I’m happy outside the field, if I’m excited to come onto the field and play cricket, that’s the best kind of zone for me to be in,” he said when asked pointedly. “And that’s something that I’ve realised as I’ve grown a bit older. Yeah, and I’m just always looking forward to playing cricket.”

Despite being one of the most sought-after names in the Indian Premier League, Rahul has been out of India’s T20 plans for some time. His last T20I appearance was on November 10, 2022, in the T20 World Cup semifinal against England in Adelaide. Strangely, that omission has worked in his favour. It has allowed him to reassess his game, set clear priorities and devote time to his fitness.

“There wasn’t much time away from the game where I could sit down and think about, okay, ‘what is it that I need to improve as a player?’ Focus on my fitness as well because I’ve had a lot of injuries. So yeah, that’s (being out of T20Is) given me some time to get away from the game, sit back, enjoy my family time as well. Work on my game,” he said.

“You know, I play an ODI series, then a couple of months later, I play a Test match in England with a swinging ball. And you have to go to Australia, work on quick bounce and leaving the ball. So, I think at this stage in my life and career, I find that really exciting, and it keeps my feet grounded. And yeah, just going with everything that’s coming, you know, success, failure. I think it’s that kind of mindset that helps me perform well.”

It was in Rajkot, back in January 2020, that Rahul was first tried at No. 5 against Australia after Rishabh Pant was ruled out with a concussion. He responded with a match-winning 80 off 52 balls and was named player of the match. Six years later, in a happy coincidence, Rahul returned to the same venue as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter and came close to producing a repeat winning performance.