'KL Rahul has been our best batsman in the T20 format' - Vikram Rathour defends underperforming opener

Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour has leapt in defense of under-fire opener KL Rahul after the latter failed for the third time in a row in the ongoing T20I series against England. Before the start of the series, captain Virat Kohli had said Rahul and Rohit Sharma would be the preferred opening combination for the team in the shortest format of the game.

Kohli’s comment came after Rahul’s stunning display in white-ball format in the last one year or so. Rahul was averaging over 44 in the shortest format last year and had amassed over 400 runs from 11 games. He was the Player of the Series in the New Zealand T20Is and was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2020 with 670 runs at a staggering average of 55.83.

However, the right-handed batsman has performed poorly since being publicly backed by his captain. He managed to score only 1 in the first T20I before registering two ducks in the following two games. The critics are now pointing fingers at Rahul after three successive failures. However, the Indian team-management has made it clear that the opener would get a long rope in the T20Is.

‘Anybody can have a lean phase’ – Rathour on KL Rahul

With KL Rahul facing criticism, Rathour defended him and said that any batsman could go through a lean phase. The former India cricketer also pointed out Rahul’s impressive record in T20s in 2020. Rathour also said that Rahul might be the best T20 batsman in the Indian team as he highlighted the importance of backing the opener in these tough times.

“Anybody can have a lean phase. Last one year, I think KL has been our best batsman in the T20 format. He’s averaging more than 40 with a strike rate of 145 (Rahul averaged 44.70 with a strike rate of 141.52 since January 2019 till the start of this series). So three failures does not change that fact, that he’s maybe the best batsman we have in that format, and he’s done really well for us in the past year.

“I think this is the time that, as a team, we need to support him. Absolutely sure he will come out of this lean phase that he’s going through,” Rathour said at the post-match press conference.

Meanwhile, India suffered an 8-wicket defeat at the hands of England in the third T20I. Skipper Virat Kohli played a stunning knock of 77 not out but it was not enough for the team. Asked to bat first, India scored 156 for 6 in 20 overs. In reply, England chased down the total in 18.2 overs.