KL Rahul ready to bat at No. 4 so as to prolong his chances in Indian team
KL Rahul, who was the highest run-getter for Kings XI Punjab, stated that he is ready to bat at number 4 for India in ODIs so as to cement his spot in the team. Rahul revealed that he is not thinking about the England series now and is concentrating to do well in the Test match against Afghanistan.
Scoring 659 runs in 13 innings in the recently concluded IPL for KXIP, KL Rahul had a successful stint, becoming the highest run-getter for KXIP. However, his heroics werenāt enough to assure a place in the knockouts for KXIP, who couldnāt get going in the business end of the league. Keeping aside the disappointment of his side, the 26-year-old hoped to continue his brilliant form for the Indian team and even accepted to bat at No. 4 in the limited-overs format.
"My childhood dream is to play the World Cup and if the team management wants me to bat No 4, I am ready to do it because nothing is bigger than playing for India. I hope to continue with my recent form in ODIs too," Rahul told TOI on the sidelines of an event in Chandigarh.
Team IndiaĀ
"Right now my aim is to score runs for my country and it doesn't matter if it is coming as an opener or in the middle order. As long as I am performing these things don't matter but the final decision is taken by the team management. If they want me to bat at No 4, then I am up for
Rahul stated that he has not been thinking about the England series yet, but rather has been preparing himself for the one-off Test against Afghanistan starting from June 14 in Bengaluru. Afghanistan squad consists of four spinners, which include IPL sensations Rashid Khan and young Mujeeb ur Rahman, along with chinaman Zahir Khan and left-arm orthodox Amir Hamza Hotak.Ā
Asked about the spin-heavy Afghanistan squad, Rahul said, "No doubt they are a very talented squad with some really good spinners. That's their strength but we will play to our strength."
In the opening game for Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in theĀ cash-rich league, Rahul scored 14-ball 50 and it became theĀ fastest half-century ever scored in the IPL. He insisted that it was the the high-point in his this yearās IPL journey.Ā Ā
"I think it's the first game when I got a 14-ball 50. It was absolutely unbelievable! I completely outdid myself there," he added.Ā
