KL Rahul: India's, IPL's man for all seasons

Harry Brook drops out of IPL. Enter KL Rahul at No. 4. Faf du Plessis is passed unfit on match day morning. Enter KL Rahul the opener.

- Rasesh Mandani

MUMBAI:

We've seen this script play out before. Rohit Sharma misses the Perth Test due to paternity leave. KL Rahul is slotted in as opener. India want to promote Axar Patel as a floater in the Champions Trophy. Rahul drops a spot down, from No. 5 to 6.

When teams pick Rahul, they don't do it for a particular number (to bat in); they know he can slot in at any position with ease. Apart from the fact that he can also multitask, as a wicket-keeper. It's a great trait to possess, one that will give Rahul the edge in selections. This, apart from his captaincy experience.

Landmark

As Rahul enters his second decade in elite cricket, he might want to ask himself, what really is his core competence? His 51-ball 77 was the defining innings in DC's 183, which helped beat CSK after restricting the home team to 158 on Saturday.