Gautam Gambhir tagged Criminal for KL Rahul discrimination in Perth

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir is facing heavy criticism for his controversial decision to send Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul in the batting order in the ongoing first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19.

After Shubman Gill’s early dismissal for 10, followed by two big setbacks for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for 8 and 0, respectively, the Indian team management and Gautam Gambhir decided to promote the all-rounder Axar Patel in the ongoing three-match ODI series opener in Perth.

Gautam Gambhir faces heat for demoting KL Rahul for Axar Patel in Perth ODI

Axar walked in at No. 5 to join Shreyas Iyer against Australia, leaving Rahul demoted despite his proven record and form. Rahul has 3043 ODI runs at an average of over 49 and an impressive strike rate of 88.7 to his name. The right-handed batter has so far scored 7 centuries and 18 fifties in the ODIs.

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The Karnataka batter has worked tirelessly to cement his place in the top order. Yet, in a shocking move, Rahul was asked to bat after Axar, whose ODI record includes only 783 runs at an average of 22 and no centuries, raising eyebrows among the Indian cricket fraternity.

Many have pointed out that Gambhir’s obsession with a left-right batting combination might backfire in Australia. Choosing a left-right balance over batting experience and form has sparked outrage among fans and former cricketers, including Dodda Ganesh, with many calling it a baffling decision.

Dodda Ganesh slams Gautam Gambhir for wasting KL Rahul’s talent in ODIs

Taking to his social media handle, Dodda Ganesh criticized Gautam Gambhir’s move, calling it unacceptable to push a batsman of Rahul’s quality to No. 6. The cricket pundit feels that India is wasting a top-class player by not allowing him to bat at his usual No. 5 position.

He warned that such decisions could harm the team’s performance in the ongoing three-match ODI series, as Shreyas Iyer also fell cheaply for 11 runs right after the play resumed following the long break due to rain in Perth. Currently, India’s score reads 45.4 inside 14 overs.

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Ganesh posted, X: “For heaven’s sake, please let KL Rahul bat at No. 5. Don’t waste him at 6 (sic). Ok then. India will not change its strategy. It’s criminal to push a batsman of KL Rahul’s quality to No. 6.”

Ok then. India will not change its strategy. Its criminal to push a batsman of KL Rahul’s quality to no 6 🙏 #AUSvIND https://t.co/z3XRRI8u8L

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) October 19, 2025

KL Rahul vs Axar Patel at No.5 in ODIs

Notably, KL Rahul’s record at number five in ODIs is outstanding. In 31 innings at this position, the stylish right-hander has scored 1,299 runs at an impressive average of 56.48 with a strike rate of 96.36. He has also notched up 11 50-plus scores, which proves his consistency and reliability in the crucial middle-order role.

Despite this, Axar Patel was promoted over Rahul to bat at number five in the ongoing Perth ODI. However, this is not the first time such a move has been made. During the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India had also pushed Axar ahead of Rahul at No. 5, and it had worked for them at the time.

Axar contributed 283 runs at an average of 35.38 and a strike rate of 88.16 at number five, making him a capable middle-order batter.