Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer reckons KL Rahul is as talented as Virat Kohli, but the latter’s mindset sets him apart. Rahul didn’t have a great series against England as he could only manage 13 runs in two innings at an average of 6.50. The flamboyant batter was dismissed after scoring 12 runs off eight deliveries in the third ODI at Lord’s while batting at number six.

Rahul was dismissed for a solitary run in the first ODI at Edgbaston, Birmingham, and was not well for the second ODI.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli returned with scores of 5, 65, and 74 in three ODIs against the home team.

Jaffer, who has the experience of observing Rahul from close quarters with RCB, said the Karnataka batter has underachieved given his skill set.

Wasim Jaffer said on the Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, “KL is a top-class player who plays all three formats remarkably well. Technically sound, composed, and level-headed. Even though he is still actively playing, I believe he has somewhat underachieved given his skill set. He can get so many more runs for both India and his franchise. In terms of pure talent and quality, I genuinely believe he is at par with Virat Kohli, but it is Virat’s elite mentality that creates that ultimate separation between KL and Virat.”

The former domestic giant added that Chris Gayle took a lot of pride in his performances when he was associated with Punjab Kings.

Jaffer concluded, “When we worked with Chris Gayle, we could see how much pride he took in his game. Before Punjab picked him up, he had played for RCB for a very long time, and then came an auction where no one picked him initially until Punjab stepped in during the final round. For a player of his stature, I feel his ego was slightly hurt being taken in the last round. But he channelled that and went on to score 500 to 600 runs for Punjab that season. Behind that super chilled-out persona, he was an absolute professional who knew there was money on his head and that he had to deliver.”