WTC Final: India would be wondering about playing XI against Australia, while KL Rahul's place in the XI looks dicey. However, Ravi Shastri has backed him for the finale, especially as a wicketkeeper.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has advocated for wicketkeeper-opener KL Rahul to confirm his place as a wicketkeeper-batter for the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 Final at The Oval in London in June, declaring that his presence will prop the side's batting line-up. Rahul has a good record in England, but he was axed from the playing XI after the opening couple of Tests versus Australia at home due to shoddy form.
The 30-year-old from Karnataka, however, made a fantastic return in the One-Day Internationals (ODIs), striking a match-winning unbeaten 75 in the opening ODI versus Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday night. Shastri senses that Rahul can feature in the India XI as a wicketkeeper in the WTC Final, especially after KS Bharat failed to produce the goods without a reticent Rishabh Pant.
"He [Rahul] has done well to keep the selectors interested ahead of the WTC final. Two things, one for the ODI series when Rohit Sharma returns and the other for the WTC final... India can bolster their batting if Rahul can keep wickets. Rahul can bat in the middle-order -- No. 5 or 6. In England, you generally have to keep wickets from far behind. You can keep up with the spinners a little. He has two more ODIs before the IPL [Indian Premier League]. He can cement his place in that Indian team," Shastri told Star Sports.
Rahul has piled up 614 runs at an average of 34.11 with a couple of hundreds -- one at The Oval -- and another half-century in nine Tests in the English conditions. While India has qualified for the WTC Final, it will be its second impression in the same, having lost to New Zealand in the 2021 Final at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
(With inputs from PTI)