After his failure to replicate the success of Perth in Adelaide, there were growing calls of dropping K L Rahul back to No.6, but the Karnataka right-hander continued to enjoy the backing of the team management, and walked out as the opener at the Gabba.
India’s Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara has voiced his support for KL Rahul to retain his place at the top of the order, even suggesting that Rohit Sharma could move down to No.3 to accommodate him for the day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 6.
Putting behind the batting blues of the opening day, India came back strongly to gain firm control over the Perth Test against Australia with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul taking the first-innings lead of 46 - earned through a Jasprit Bumrah fifer - and stretched it past 200 by the end of the second day’s play at the Optus Stadium on Saturday.
In what comes as welcome news for India in their build-up to the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test starting on November 22, KL Rahul returned to batting during the team's training session at the WACA Stadium on Sunday.
Star batter K L Rahul was forced to retire hurt after being hit by a rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna during the team’s intra-squad match simulation at the WACA in Perth on Friday.
Rahul, who is currently undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is now likely to miss the T20I series, which is scheduled to be played across three venues - Trinidad, St Kitts and Florida (US) from July 29 to August 7.
A sensational hundred by Quinton de Kock (140 not out off 70) and a solid fifty by KL Rahul (68 not out off 51) powered Lucknow Super Giants to 210/0 in 20 overs, after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
Both de Kock and Rahul remained not out until the final ball of the LSG innings and showed no mercy to the KKK bowlers. Notably, it was the first time in IPL history that a team batted the entire 20 overs without losing a wicket.
Chasing a par score of 178/6 in 20 overs built on useful knocks from Yashasvi Jaiswal (41), Sanju Samson (32) and Devdutt Padikkal (39), Lucknow were restricted to 154/8 in 20 overs despite a half-century by Deepak Hooda (59) and his 65-run partnership with Krunal Pandya (25).
The Karnataka cricketer has marshalled his troops well in the most exciting IPL season which is why the Super Giants look title favourites. Chawla, who was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders side under Gautam Gambhir's captaincy.
