IND vs AFG: "Virat Kohli's Experience Was Needed To Guide KL Rahul," Says Sunil Gavaskar After India's 6-Wicket Victory

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lauded KL Rahul for his exceptional knock during the match against Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023. Sunil Gavaskar said that KL Rahul formed a match-winning partnership with Virat Kohli to help the team win the match.

KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 97 runs off 115 deliveries at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. The 31-year-old kept wickets for the 50 overs in Australia’s innings. He came to the crease in the second over when the team was in trouble at 2/3.

Must Not Forget KL Rahul’s Innings – Sunil Gavaskar

In a conversation with India Today, Sunil Gavaskar commended KL Rahul‘s ability to anchor the innings while batting in the middle order at number 5.

“Virat’s experience was needed to guide Rahul. We must not forget Rahul’s innings as well. Rahul scored 97 not out, and did not put a foot wrong. Kohli had a bit of luck when that easy catch was dropped. So good to see the way he is playing,” said Gavaskar.

“We’ve all known the ability and talent that he has. The way he’s batting right now really augers well for India for the rest of the tournament. You have someone coming in at number 5 who can hold the innings together,” he added.

Virat Kohli scored 85 runs off 116 balls with the help of six boundaries. Kohli and Rahul added a 167-run partnership for the fourth wicket to steady the innings. He was dismissed when the team needed 33 runs to win the match.

It Was A Total All-Round Performance – Sunil Gavaskar

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar praised India’s remarkable recovery and described it as a statement to other teams in the World Cup.

“What India has shown is that they can recover even with backs on their wall. The fightback that we saw was the most impressive. It was a total all-rounder performance, a very good performance by India. The confidence level will go up. So other teams will have to watch out,” Gavaskar stated.

The Indian bowlers dismissed the opposition team for 199 runs. Ravindra Jadeja took 3 wickets for 28 runs, while Kuldeep Yadav contributed 2 wickets for 42. They picked up the last eight Australian wickets, conceding just 89 runs.

Also read: IND vs AUS: Watch – KL Rahul Reveals Why He Was Upset After Hitting Match-Winning Six vs Australia In World Cup