IND vs NZ 2026: ‘KL Rahul shouldered the responsibility’ - Legendary pacer lauds match-saving hundred in Rajkot

Former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan praised Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul for his brilliant century in the second ODI against New Zealand at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on January 14. Rahul registered

his eighth ODI hundred, rescuing India from a difficult situation and guiding the team to a competitive total.

Coming in to bat at No.5 with the hosts under pressure, Rahul shouldered the responsibility after Virat Kohli was dismissed soon after his arrival. The Karnataka batter absorbed the pressure and steadied the innings, forging a crucial 73-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja before gradually increasing the scoring rate.

Rahul remained unbeaten on 112 off 92 balls, striking 11 fours and one six, as India posted 284/7 in their allotted 50 overs. Zaheer highlighted how Rahul stepped up when India’s top-order batters failed to convert their starts and played a mature, match-defining innings.

"He'll take a lot of pride in this hundred. One of the top four, after getting the start, had to go onto get a 100, it was not the case, but KL Rahul shouldered the responsibility very well, absorbing that pressure at that stage, building up that partnership with Ravindra Jadeja," Zaheer said on Cricbuzz.

"That strike rate was so impressive, considering the pressure which was there in the situation. He had to absorb pressure, build his innings slowly, there was a cautious approach from both Rahul and Jadeja at that stage. At the start of the innings, you were looking at 300, 300-plus, but to get to 280-plus is something that India were looking at as an ideal total to defend," he added.

Shubman Gill was playing to the conditions: Zaheer

Indian captain Shubman Gill also contributed with a solid half-century after surviving a challenging spell from the New Zealand pacers. He scored 56 off 53 balls before being dismissed by Kyle Jamieson in the 17th over. Zaheer felt that Gill was not batting with the sole intention of boosting his strike rate, but was instead playing according to the demands of the situation and the conditions.

"With the new ball, both batters were cautious, they absorbed the pressure at that stage, then they recovered it nicely. Shubman, today, was just playing the conditions. In T20s, the strike rate should be looked at very closely, but when you look at ODIs, it is about converting, the strike rate follows," Zaheer said.

"Gill's innings is backed by his previous innings, having that confidence, but the way he started, he was not thinking about it (strike rate). Because if he was thinking about it, he would have been willing to take more risks, which he was not," he concluded.