Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra hailed KL Rahul for his crucial knock after the Men in Blue registered a four-wicket win against Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday. Rahul scored a crucial knock of 42 runs off 34 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes in the run-chase of 265.
The flamboyant batter took the aggressive approach when the required run rate was going over run-a-ball. Chopra recalled that Rahul was the most hated guy on 19th November 2023 when he trudged to 66 runs off 107 balls in the ODI World Cup final against Australia.
However, the renowned commentator highlighted the wicketkeeper bat is often made the scapegoat, which is not fair.
“KL Rahul – winning hit. I feel privileged when I am able to call the winning runs. So I was happy I was there, and I was even more happy for Rahul. Rahul gets trolled and even I also get trolled along with him for no rhyme or reason. He is not my friend. However, he was an extremely hated guy on 19 November,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“No one was trolled more than him. (Virat) Kohli was also trolled, that he also played slow, but he was the Player of the Tournament. So people let him be, but no one spared Rahul. No one thought that Shreyas Iyer had gotten out in the 12th over, three people had gotten out, and the game had to be taken deep as Hardik (Pandya) wasn’t there. Suryakumar (Yadav), who hadn’t scored runs, was there,” he observed.
Meanwhile, the renowned commentator feels the Champions Trophy semis was hanging in the balance when KL Rahul joined forces with Virat Kohli.
“Let bygones be bygones. What was the case here? Here also, when Axar (Patel) got out, the game was maybe hanging in the balance. If two wickets had fallen there, the game could have gone awry. However, the guy stood there,” he said.
Chopra noted that Rahul has been given the difficult role of adding the finishing touches in ODIs while batting at number six.
“The role he has been given to bat against the old ball at No. 6 is the most difficult job in ODI cricket. Guys who have a lot of power in their arms, who can hit sixes while standing in their position, bat at No. 6. He is not meant to bat like that. He has to step out. He tries to do that job as well,” Chopra observed.
India will take on New Zealand in the summit clash of the Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday.
