IPL 2019 has been a bumper season for KL Rahul. He scored 593 runs in 14 matches and looked in sublime form right through the season. Leaving aside all his personal troubles, he looked assured and even in his final innings for Kings XI Punjab, he showed his class with a blistering innings against Chennai Super Kings.
Such was the dominance that even MS Dhoni praised his efforts and said that it will force his side to reassess their own position.
"You need to give the credit to them. It was not an easy wicket. With three spinners, it was difficult to manoeuvre in the first six overs," Dhoni said after the match.
Rahul has been consistent at the top of the order
"But KL Rahul batted really well, was ably supported by Chris Gayle and then Pooran towards the end was good with his lusty hits. It was a really good batting effort from their side," he further added.
KL Rahul, who has been consistent at the top of the order, has faced criticism for his slow starts and after this performance, he revealed that it was his role in the side to bat for 20 overs and since it was his final match, he allowed himself to be more expressive.
"I've been holding myself back till the last game because my role was different - playing 20 overs and holding up one end. We knew there wasn't much left for us in this game. But sometimes, you have to alter your game and play according to how the team wants, but tonight I was playing much more freely. It came out very well today, my strike-rate is much higher, but looking back at it from a personal and team point of view, my strike-rate has dropped," Rahul said after the match.
His form bodes well for India ahead of the World Cup as he could be the perfect fit for the number four position in this Indian side. He also said that having runs at his disposal helps him to have clarity while thinking and this allows him to see the ball better and react accordingly.
Although, chief selector MSK Prasad did say that they had picked Vijay Shankar in the side as the number 4 batsman, the form of Rahul could have tipped the scales in his favour.
Also, Rahul enjoys the confidence of Virat Kohli and could enjoy the conditions in England where the pitches are flat and there is no lateral movement on offer which might work for Rahul in the middle order.
