Irfan Pathan on KL Rahul: At one time, Team India was stuck in the second ODI match played between India and New Zealand. Team India was sweating while chasing the target of only 135 runs, but then the team's star wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul came to the crease as a trouble-shooter and took control of the team. Amidst the difficult conditions and the fierce attack of the Kiwi bowlers, Rahul not only kept his feet on the crease but also scored important runs in very difficult times, due to which Team India came ahead in the match. After seeing this combative batting of KL Rahul, former Indian veteran all-rounder Irfan Pathan has also become his admirer and praised KL Rahul a lot.
It's a good experience to watch Rahul bat on difficult pitches – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan has described KL Rahul as India's most reliable batsman to play on foreign pitches and difficult conditions. Irfan Pathan shared a post on his social media, in which he wrote, “KL Rahul is one of the most comfortable Indian batsmen on difficult foreign pitches. The brilliant technique, composure and calm nature he has at the crease is truly amazing and unmatched. Watching him bat always gives a pleasant experience and pleasure.
KL Rahul has to be one of the most comfortable Indian batters on difficult overseas pitches. The technique, the composure and the calmness he brings to the crease are simply outstanding. A pleasure to watch him bat. @klrahul
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 7, 2026
Praise for technique and mental strength
Cricket experts believe that on the fast and bouncy pitches of New Zealand or military countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia), where even the best batsmen struggle, KL Rahul is successful due to his strong defensive technique and the art of playing the ball late. Pathan has underlined this quality that even in pressure situations, Rahul does not panic at the crease, rather his composure is what makes him different from others.
India won by DLS rule
This second ODI match played between India and New Zealand was greatly affected due to rain, due to which the match was decided on the basis of Duckworth-Lewis rule. After winning the toss and batting first, New Zealand was all out for just 134 runs in 41 overs. Young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar took 4 wickets from India's side.
After this, rain disrupted India's innings also. When the game was stopped due to rain, Team India had scored 113 runs losing 7 wickets in 26 overs. At that time India needed only 22 runs in 66 balls to win. However, due to lack of improvement in the weather and continuous rain, the match could not be restarted, due to which the umpires declared India the winner by 4 runs under the DLS rule.
For India, Shreyas Iyer scored the maximum 30 runs, in which he faced 46 balls and hit 4 fours and 1 six. While KL Rahul, who became the trouble-shooter, remained unbeaten after scoring 26 runs. Rohit Sharma contributed 23 runs with the help of 2 fours and 2 sixes in 28 balls and Naman Dheer scored 12 runs, while Akshar Patel and Virat Kohli played innings of 7 runs each.
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