India’s tour of England ended on a sour note as they lost the final ODI at Lord’s on Sunday, culminating in a 2-1 series defeat. India’s bowlers had a day to forget, conceding a total of 387, which the batting unit failed to chase down. Despite a sensational century from Rohit Sharma and fifties from captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, India fell short by 27 runs. Former BCCI chief selector and India’s 1983 World Cup-winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth slammed the Indian team management for messing up the batting order.
While India’s top three contributed runs, the likes of Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul failed to provide the late oomph required to take India over the line in the third ODI.
Srikkanth slammed the Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management for allocating KL Rahul at No. 6.
“Will anyone send KL Rahul at No.6 when chasing such a huge total? That guy has won you so much in tough run-chases. Is Rahul a No.6 or 7 batter?” Srikkanth said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
“Just like you screwed up Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, now you are screwing up KL Rahul. This is gross injustice. His body language also looked like someone nervous yesterday,” Srikkanth added.
Rahul walked out to bat at the end of the 44th over, with India needing 84 to win off just 36 balls. The wicket-keeper batter managed just 12 runs off eight deliveries.
“India needed someone to do the Jos Buttler role. That’s where Kishan and Shreyas Iyer got out rightaway. But if Rahul had gone in at No.4, he would have complimented Virat Kohli like they did a few times in the 2023 World Cup,” he further said.
“Instead, they sent him out to bat when the match was over. How was he possibly going to win the game needing 15 per over with Axar Patel ?” Srikkanth concluded.
KL Rahul batted at No.5 during India’s 2023 World Cup campaign, during which he made 452 runs in 10 innings.
However, since Gautam Gambhir’s arrival as head coach, Rahul has generally operated at No. 6, with Axar Patel often sent out ahead. The move paid dividends during the Champions Trophy 2025, when Rahul finished several games for India.
