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.
The ultra-aggressive and big-hitting batting line-up of Punjab flattered to deceive yet again to slump to a 20-run defeat at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants at MCA Stadium here on Friday.
This was the team's second offence of the season under the IPL's code of conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences. Lucknow Super Giants captain, KL Rahul was fined Rs 24 lakhs and the rest of the members in the playing eleven were fined Rs 6 lakhs or 25 per cent of their match fee, whichever is lower.
Chasing 169 for a win, Mumbai Indians were in a good position after the powerplay and despite losing Ishan Kishan, had Rohit Sharma batting well and their in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav in the middle. The loss of concentration in the middle overs however, eventually led to the team's 8th consecutive loss.
The disappointing run in the TATA IPL 2022 continues for the Mumbai Indians who have become the first team to have lost 8 consecutive matches from the start of the season and are out of contention for the playoffs as well.
Rahul's team-mate Marcus Stoinis has also been reprimanded for breaching the Indian Premier League's Code of Conduct during the same match.
