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 has so far scored 222 runs in three matches, including one hundred and a half century for Kings XI Punjab and sits at the top.
KL Rahul's innings was however followed by a concerted effort from the KXIP bowlers who got RCB all out for just 109 runs.
RCB was outclassed by their opponents in every department of the game as after Rahul's blitzkrieg, the Punjab bowlers too rose to the occasion.
Rahul, who has been in red-hot form for India in white-ball cricket in the recent past, was appointed as skipper ahead of the season.
While KL Rahul has lost two spots to move down to number four, skipper Virat Kohli has moved up to the ninth position.
