Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has backed KL Rahul to continue his role of a wicket-keeper batter in ODIs. While Chopra highlighted that Rahul can miss a catch or stumping as he is not a specialist keeper but also noted that there is no place for the right-hander to play as a pure batter.
Hardik Pandya is currently out of action due to an injury and Chopra said there will be no place for a specialist wicket-keeper when the all-rounder will return to action.
Meanwhile, Rahul has done a decent job as a keeper and more importantly, he has delivered consistently with the bat in the 50-overs format. Rahul top-scored with 38 runs in the opening ODI against Australia at Perth on Sunday.
“It won’t happen. I will tell you why. Hardik (Pandya) is not there currently. Otherwise, if you see the top six, Shubman Gill is there with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli comes at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer comes at No. 4, KL Rahul comes at No. 5, and Hardik Pandya comes at No. 6. Where is the place?” Chopra responded on his YouTube Channel when he was asked if Rahul can play purely as a batter.
“He might miss an odd catch or stumping because he is primarily a batter who is keeping. He started doing it because the team needed it, and after that, he did well too, and bats down the order in a difficult position, but there is no place,” he added.
Chopra said there can not be any change to India’s top six as the batters have sealed their respective places and thus the backup keeper will always be a spectator unless there are any injury concerns.
“Samson or Ishan Kishan or Jitesh Sharma or anbody else, even Rishabh Pant, there is no place for anyone in this XI because your top six are almost written in stone,” he said.
“So, if there can be no change there, whoever you keep, you will take them as a tourist with the team, whether it’s Dhruv Jurel, Sanju Samson or anyone else. There is no chance of them getting a place in the XI. I don’t see it happening,” Chopra observed.
The second ODI between India and Australia will be played at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
