'Hey Gambhir, what you are doing is not right' - Former India opener Kris Srikkanth comes in support of KL Rahul

Former India opener and ex-chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth has criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir for demoting KL Rahul to No. 6 in the ongoing ODI series against England. Srikkanth termed the change as unfair, feeling that Rahul has done well at No. 5 and should not be forced to bat lower in the order. 

Rahul has been India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs, producing consistent performances at No. 5. However, in the ongoing series against England, the Men in Blue has opted to promote Axar Patel to No. 5 to maintain a left-right batting combination. This has resulted in Rahul being pushed to No. 6, where he has struggled to make an impact, scoring just two and 10 in the first two matches.

This is not the first time the Karnataka batter has faced such a situation. In the 2024 ODI series against Sri Lanka, he was demoted in favour of Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube under a similar left-right combination strategy. Srikkanth believes that such decisions disturbed Rahul’s rhythm and confidence.

“Shreyas Iyer is in good form, which is a positive for India. But I feel for KL Rahul, it’s very unfortunate. Yes, Axar Patel is scoring 30s and 40s, but what they are doing with KL Rahul is not fair. Look at his record, he has excelled at No. 5, with a brilliant record. I don’t know what the team management is thinking regarding his position. If he bats at No. 6 or 7, he ends up scoring 6 or 7. It’s unfair,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel.

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Is it fair to a player who has performed brilliantly in world cricket: Kris Srikkanth

Axar, who was promoted to No. 5 in both ODIs, justified his selection with scores of 52 and 41. However, Srikkanth revealed that India's strategy of constantly changing the batting order could backfire in big matches.

”Hey, Gambhir, what you are doing is not right. Yes, depending on the situation, India can send Axar at No. 5, but it cannot be a consistent strategy. If you keep making such changes, you know what will happen there will be a crucial match where everything falls apart. That’s what worries me. You can’t justify it by talking about the left-right combination. Does that mean you don’t care about a left-right combination in the top four? Why does it only matter at No. 5?” he added.

Srikkanth also gave an alternative option if the team management insists on a left-hander at No. 5. He believes Rishabh Pant should be included in the XI rather than pushing Rahul down the order.

"I have no issue with Axar Patel—he is making the most of his chances. But if you’re pushing Rahul down the order, then play Rishabh Pant at No. 6. Why undermine Rahul’s confidence? Is it fair to a player who has performed brilliantly in world cricket? Now, what you’ve done is you’ve sidelined Rishabh Pant as well. One of them has to play. I have a feeling Pant will feature in the third ODI and then in the Champions Trophy too. Rahul might end up warming the bench again” he added.