Kris Srikkanth Criticises Indian Team Management Over KL Rahul's Batting Position

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has criticised the Indian team management for sending KL Rahul in at No. 6 during the third ODI against England at Lord's. India were chasing 388 but lost the match by 27 runs, surrendering the three-match series 2-1. Sharing his views on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth questioned the decision to push Rahul down the batting order. "Will anyone send KL Rahul at No.6 when chasing such a huge total? That guy has won you so much in tough run-chases," Srikkanth said. "Is Rahul a No.6 or 7 batter? This is a gross injustice. His body language also looked like someone nervous," he said. Rahul walked out to bat with India at 304/4, needing almost 15 runs per over. The right-hander made 12 off eight balls before being dismissed by Jofra Archer. Srikkanth also compared Rahul's situation with the way Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were handled earlier. "Just like you screwed up Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, now you are screwing up KL Rahul. India needed someone to do the Jos Buttler role (the Englishman hit a 13-ball 41 in the first innings). That's where Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer got out right away. But if Rahul had gone in at No. 4, he would have complemented Virat Kohli like they did a few times in the 2023 World Cup," the 1983 World Cup winner said. "Rahul is capable of accelerating easily. Instead, they sent him out to bat when the match was over. How was he possibly going to win the game needing 15 per over with Axar Patel?," Srikkanth said. Rahul featured in only two matches during the ODI series. He scored one run in the opening ODI and followed it up with 12 in the series decider at Lord's. The ODI series defeat came after India suffered a 0-4 loss in the five-match T20I series against England and a 0-2 defeat in the two-match T20I series against Ireland. India will now travel to Zimbabwe for a three-match T20I series. The first match will be played on July 23, followed by the second on July 25 and the third on July 26. All three games will be held in Harare.