India have already wrapped up the ODI series against Afghanistan with convincing victories in the opening two matches, giving the team management room to experiment ahead of bigger assignments. In the absence of senior stars Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, the selectors and coaching staff tested a few combinations, particularly in the batting order. Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill were both handed opportunities at No. 3 in Kohli’s absence and made the most of them with encouraging performances.
One move that continued to attract attention, however, was KL Rahul’s role in the lower middle order. Despite being an established top-order batter and a player who has often anchored India’s innings across formats, Rahul was once again used as a finisher. The decision drew criticism from former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who believes Rahul’s abilities are being underutilised at No. 6. Srikkanth argued that Rahul should bat higher up the order, preferably at No. 4 or 5, and also backed a rotation policy to give fringe players opportunities while helping India settle on their best combination ahead of major tournaments.
“It is not good for KL Rahul and the team if he is batting at six. In my opinion, he must bat at four or five max. I think they can go by rotation policy. Rest the certainties in some games, give chances, and then pick the side,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
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Rahul aced the finisher’s role in the opening ODI by smashing 39 runs* off 19 balls in the chase, while he was dismissed for a duck in Lucknow.
“Should be a one-month break after IPL”
Srikkanth also questioned the timing of the Afghanistan series, arguing that players have been given little time to recover after a demanding cricket calendar. With the IPL and T20 World Cup having concluded recently and the Women’s T20 World Cup currently underway, the former India captain felt the focus should have shifted elsewhere.
“Afghanistan is not a great team really. It is sad. Now they are going to play in Chennai where it will be very hot. I don’t know how they will play there. It is not fair. I don’t think they should be playing in June. The T20 World Cup and IPL just got over. Give them a break and the Women’s T20 World Cup is going on, why don’t we focus on that? There should be a one month break after the IPL to be honest. There is no family time, no holiday, and most importantly no mental break,” he stated.