Gautam Gambhir and KL Rahul. | (Credits: X)
Former Team India pacer Dodda Ganesh has called out the team management for demoting KL Rahul in the ongoing first ODI against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur. With the management sending Axar Patel to bat at number five, the retired cricketer underlined that some wisemen find different ways to demote Rahul.
Although Rahul averages above 55 at both No.4 and 5 in ODIs, the Indian management didn’t send a specialist batter after Shreyas Iyer’s wicket. Instead, all-rounder Axar Patel came in at five but the left-hander performed well, hitting a crucial half-century to steer the hosts out of a tricky position by building a solid partnership with vice-captain Shubman Gill.
Meanwhile, Dodda Ganesh took to X and wrote:
“KL Rahul has been best at no 5; but the wisemen in the dressing room find different ways to demote him in this batting lineup. Absolutely ridiculous. What are you going to achieve by sending Axar at no 5?”
