‘His batting average in ODIs is 50’ – Gautam Gambhir reveals reason for prefers KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant in India’s Champions Trophy playing XI

KL Rahul played a crucial role in helping the Men in Blue cruise to victory, even though Kohli stole the show throughout the entire match. Rahul contributed a brief but significant 42* cameo during India’s run-chase. The Karnataka batsman also scored the final runs, striking Glenn Maxwell for a massive maximum over the long on zone.

India defeated Australia by a commanding four wickets in the first semi-final to claim a spot in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, which will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on March 9. India’s resounding victory was orchestrated by star batsman Virat Kohli, who scored 84 runs on Tuesday.

In the meantime, Rahul’s knock left India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir utterly impressed. The Indian dugout and selectors were frequently chastised before the match for selecting the part-time wicketkeeper over Rishabh Pant.

In addition to being questioned his thoughts on the criticism, Gambhir was also asked why he chose to overlook Rishabh Pant, who has yet to participate in the tournament and has just one game left. Rahul’s superior batting performance over Pant in One-Day Internationals, which guarantees him a berth in the starting lineup, supported the coach’s statement.

In ODI cricket, Rahul’s average is 50 (sic 48.53). At the press conference held in Dubai following the game, Gambhir responded, “That’s the answer.”

Numbers and batting positions are irrelevant in team sports like cricket; what matters is the impact. Protecting yourself on the pitch should be your primary concern. You should be content to do whatever is required of you in order to support the team and KL. Rahul and KL both accomplished this with great joy and success, and he also performed admirably at number six. To another question concerning Rahul’s position, Gambhir said, “People keep talking about it, I don’t know for how long they have been talking about it, and that is why we pushed KL at number six.”

All we want to do is play the game that way because we feel like he provides us more depth. The conversations I’ve had with him and with everyone else are precisely the same. We won’t discuss batting positions because cricket is a team sport, particularly in this format. “We will continue to discuss how we can make that impact and what the team needs,” the Delhi native continued.

KL Rahul reaches the ODI milestone.

Rahul’s undefeated 42 was outstanding from a personal standpoint in addition to playing a significant role in India’s victory. In addition to breaking the 3000-run mark in the ODI format, his innings was adorned with a few boundaries and an equal number of sixers. It has taken the 32-year-old 78 innings to reach the milestone throughout his nine years in the format.

Throughout his career, the Bengaluru-born batsman has accumulated seven hundreds and sixteen fifties while playing a variety of positions, demonstrating his versatility and ability to adapt to a wide range of circumstances. It is now his goal to continue to make the same impression in the Sunday finale.