KL Rahul Believes His Unbeaten Century Was Important For Developing His Middle-Order Role

KL Rahul described his unbeaten 129 against the West Indies as a useful exercise in spending prolonged time at the crease while India continue building towards the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Although Rahul produced a commanding century, India could not complete a series sweep after the West Indies successfully chased 352 in the third ODI.

India still claimed the three-match series 2-1.

Rahul said the innings gave him an opportunity to regain the rhythm required for a lengthy ODI stay in the middle order after limited chances to do so earlier in the year. He noted batting later in an innings presents different challenges, particularly when the ball becomes older and starts generating reverse swing.

Rahul explained that attacking shots towards long-on and deep midwicket can become riskier when the ball loses its hardness and the boundaries are large.

Rahul stressed the importance of understanding the responsibilities attached to batting at No 5 or No 6 and consistently contributing to the team.

With the 2027 World Cup approaching, Rahul said every bilateral series offers India an opportunity to assess their combinations and provide match exposure to potential squad members. He said the team is looking beyond conventional first-innings targets of 330-340 and wants batters to maintain their aggression after getting set, with totals of 370, 380 or even 400 becoming realistic in modern ODI cricket.

Rahul added that the absence of key players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel had created room to assess alternatives. He said the captain and coaching staff have identified certain players for extended opportunities as they prepare for the global tournament.

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