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India's crushing 125-run defeat against England in the third T20I has once again started a big discussion about the team's batting. After India were bowled out for just 76 runs, many cricket experts and fans believe the team needs more experienced batters like KL Rahul.
Now, former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh has also supported the call for the return of KL Rahul to the T20I team. Ramesh feels Rahul can solve one of India's biggest problems in T20I cricket. He believes that Rahul has the ability to face world-class fast bowlers under pressure.
India's batting collapse sparks fresh KL Rahul debate
The Men in Blue had a terrible day at Trent Bridge while chasing 202 against England. The entire batting line-up collapsed, and the team was bowled out for only 76 runs in 11.4 overs while chasing 22 runs in the third game. England won the match by 125 runs, which became India's biggest defeat by runs in T20I history.
It was also India's fourth straight defeat in completed T20I matches. After the poor performance, many questions have been raised about India's batting style. Several batters played attacking shots from the start and lost their wickets. Amid this, Indian politician urges Vaibhav Sooryavanshi & India's young players to learn from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli.
Sadagoppan Ramesh backed KL Rahul for the 2028 T20 World Cup plans
Sadagoppan Ramesh believes that India needs batters who know how to handle tough situations instead of only looking to hit boundaries and sixes, keeping in mind the ICC T20 World Cup 2028. He feels a player like KL Rahul can bring stability to the batting order because he has the technique and experience to face quality fast bowling on challenging pitches.
Sadagoppan Ramesh said on Instagram, "The next T20 World Cup will be on potentially challenging pitches in Australia and New Zealand. Considering that, it is paramount that India add a batter capable of handling high-quality fast bowlers.
Thinking in that direction, the first name that automatically comes to mind is KL Rahul. He responded to the criticisms around his strike rate with his performance in this IPL. He is also one of only three players to have ever scored a 150.”
India need batters who can handle pressure
The former opener also said Rahul has worked hard on his batting and even improved his strike rate as well. The right-hander was in excellent form in the IPL 2026 for Delhi Capitals, and he scored 593 runs in 14 matches at an average of 45.61 and a brilliant strike rate of 174.41.
He further added, “India needs batters capable of playing guys like Archer in Australian conditions and also ones that can handle crises. Just slogging and aiming for only 6s and 4s will result in more such 70 and 80 all-outs. That is why batters like KL Rahul must be considered.”
Sadagoppan Ramesh says India need more right-handed batters in the Playing XI
Ramesh also pointed out that India's batting line-up has many left-handed batters. He believes adding an experienced right-handed batter like Rahul would give the team better balance, especially against strong bowling attacks.
He added, “You can't consider the IPL only for certain players. KL Rahul must also at least be on the radar. Also, for a team that looks so much at matchups with the ball, India don't seem to care about matchups with the bat. The lineup is full of left-handers, so India must add a few right-handers. Purely because of where the next T20 World Cup is going to be played, KL Rahul has to be on the radar.”
Rahul last played a T20I for India in November 2022 during the T20 World Cup semifinal against England. He has also been one of the most successful batters in IPL history. He has scored 5,815 runs in 159 IPL matches at an average of over 46.
