A question comes to mind whenever we look at the way Team India handles KL Rahul: is he the most unfortunate cricketer in Indian cricket history?
Despite being immensely talented, he rarely seems to enjoy the security of a settled role. His ODI performances should make him an established member of the side. Yet questions about his place return quickly, and even one or two poor innings can bring calls for him to be dropped.
Rahul averages above 50 in ODI cricket despite having batted at every position from opening to No. 7. Maintaining that level while repeatedly adjusting to different roles says a great deal about his ability. In terms of batting talent, there is a case for discussing him alongside someone like Virat Kohli, even though their career achievements are different.
Now, Shubman Gill’s latest comments suggest that Rahul will once again have to adjust his batting position.
KL Rahul’s Batting Position Remains Flexible
Speaking before the New Zealand ODI series, Gill said India’s top four batting positions are settled. However, No. 5 and No. 6 will remain flexible, with Rahul and Axar Patel moving according to the match situation.
Gill explained that the top four are all right-handers. If India need a left-hander, Axar could go in ahead of Rahul. In other situations, Rahul could bat first.
That raises an obvious question: why does the flexibility begin only after the top four?
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If India need a left-hander against spin, that situation could arise when the No. 4 batter is due to enter. Yet that position is protected, while Rahul’s place in the order remains open to change.
Axar’s ability to attack left-arm orthodox spin can be useful. But if the bowling matchup is the reason for a promotion, why should the same approach not apply higher up the order? Giving the top four certainty while asking Rahul to keep adjusting feels unfair.
His Unbeaten Century Showed What Time at the Crease Can Do
Rahul’s most recent ODI innings against West Indies was another reminder of what he can produce when he gets enough deliveries.
He batted only once in that series and scored an unbeaten 129 from 87 balls. It was an outstanding innings that showed his ability to build a substantial score and then accelerate.
Rahul is a highly capable player of both pace and spin. Sending him lower whenever India want a left-hander risks overlooking how well he can handle those same middle-over challenges.
His recent century strengthens the argument for giving him time at the crease. When a batter can build an innings and finish it so effectively, a stable position should help India make better use of him.
Why Must Rahul Keep Making the Adjustment?
The frustration is not simply that Rahul could bat at No. 6. It is that his role repeatedly changes while others receive clearer assurances.
Different positions bring different demands. A batter may need to rebuild after early wickets, control the middle overs or attack immediately at the finish. Rahul has repeatedly been asked to make those adjustments, yet his own place still comes under scrutiny when he fails.
His ODI average remains around 51 despite that uncertainty. That should be a reason to trust him with a settled role, rather than keep treating his adaptability as permission to move him around.
Despite such an impressive record and an outstanding ODI average, Rahul still has to keep wickets to cement his place in Team India.
Gill’s explanation about needing a left-hander does not answer the central concern. If flexibility is important, why are the top four excluded from it? Rahul deserves the same clarity that those batters receive.
Could a Settled Role Have Taken Rahul Even Higher?
There is a strong argument that a fixed position, with more opportunities to bat higher, could have helped Rahul build an even greater ODI career.
An average above 60 is a possibility worth discussing, although nobody can know what his numbers would have been under different circumstances. The point is that a player already averaging above 50 while handling changing responsibilities clearly has exceptional ability.
With greater stability, he might have built a record that placed him more firmly among the great ODI batters. Instead, the conversation keeps returning to another adjustment and another experiment.
How much longer must Rahul be the player who gives up certainty? His performances have earned him the right to a clear batting role.
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