Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who has now donned the hat of an expert and commentator, on Wednesday (January 14) reserved big praise for 33-year-old Indian batter KL Rahul, who scored an unbeaten
century for the Shubman Gill-led side in the second ODI against New Zealand. In the second ODI of the ongoing three-match series played at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Rahul walked out to bat at No. 4 for the hosts after Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal and remained unbeaten till the end. He faced a total of 92 balls and scored 112 runs with the help of 11 fours and 1 six.
Even though Rahul’s knock failed to help India secure a win on Wednesday, it did earn him big praise from Gavaskar.
According to Gavaskar, who played for India from 1971 to 1987 and scored over 10,000 runs in Test cricket, Rahul is India’s modern-day crisis man, much like Rahul Dravid was during his playing days.
“Look, he’s always been a class act. He’s always been a wonderful, wonderful batter to watch. He’s got everything in the book—he’s got the technique, he’s got the temperament, and he’s got the range of shots,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“He is the crisis man, just like another Rahul from Karnataka, Rahul Dravid. Whenever there is trouble, you can depend on him. You’re breathing easy, knowing that he will take care of whatever is happening,” Gavaskar added.
As per Gavaskar, Rahul has handled the pressure situation well for India in various batting positions.
“Whether it’s opening the batting or playing in the middle order—at four, five, or six—you saw the way he handled that pressure situation and took the team home. This time around, he’s given them at least 40–50 more runs than what otherwise would have happened,” Gavaskar said.
“If he had got out early, I don’t think India would have reached even 240–250. Those extra 40 runs could well make the difference between winning and losing,” he added.
In the first ODI as well, Rahul helped India bounce back from middle-order collapse and chase down the target of 301 runs in 49 overs for the loss of six wickets. In the series opener played at BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, Rahul remained unbeaten on 29 runs from 21 balls.
