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How Kohli settles into a team where he may not be the most popular batsman will define his legacy

Bhaijaan

Bhaijaan

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A time comes when no matter how great and legendary you have been, someone comes along and t akes the spotlight away from you for a while or even permanently.

Whether you let that bother you from the inside and make you do desperate things to get that spotlight back or whether you choose to play wise and let it be a moment to quietly settle into a new role is what separates all time legends from great players once.

Virat Kohl might still be the best batsman in that Indian team today but he is surely no longer the most popular. KL Rahul is the man right now. The moment is with him and India must di everything it takes to let him play in all formats and at the right batting positions.

Kohli might stikl out last Rahul but he doesn't have to eclipse him for the time being. He needs to quietly settle into his new supportive role and let Dhawan, Rahul do yhe domination.

He needs to take inspiration from Sachin who after dominating the 1990s like no one ever would, was happy to see new stars emerge around him and decided to control his aggression to play a longer inning and he indeed did that. While Dravid, Gangly, Sehwag, Laxman had their moments Tendulkar outlasted them all. He didnt take it to his ego when he was temporarily pushed to supportive roles.

Kohli must follow the foot steps.
 
I am delighted by and for KLR as much as the next Indian fan but let's wait till he strings together a full season with consistent performance. And if he does, then hopefully it would spur Kohli to find a higher gear.
 
I doubt KL is more popular than Kohli yet. Has to do a lot more.

Even if we assume that Kohli is less popular, it won't be a problem. I see that Kohli is more interested in winning than being popular.
 
Lol, easy there. Kohli is by far India’s best batsman and most popular batsman. You need to be at top of your game for 6-7 years to start with, to gain that stamp and popularity, it just doesn’t come overnight by smashing club level bowlers on a road.

When Bhuvi goes for 10 an over you can easily say the wicket is too flat.
 
Purely as a batsman he is the Sachin of previous team, there will be Dravids/ Sehwags/ Laxmans around him in his age bracket/ younger lot who will do well few seasons and outscore him but till he retires :kohli will carry the no 1 batter tag in this XI.
 
Rahul is in monstrous form, we would need both him and Dhawan along with Che, Rahane and Kohli for this series.
 
Kohli must make the sacrifice and vacate the #3 position for Rahul for the greater good of Indian cricket.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Kohli must make the sacrifice and vacate the #3 position for Rahul for the greater good of Indian cricket.
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Yes. Must set a precedent here.

Shouldnt follow Sachin’s footsteps though. He didn’t vacate his spot for Gambhir/Sehwag duo that was so much better, and stretched his career for the 100th 100.
 
All speculation about a rift between kl and kohli are baseless. Kohli promoted rahul to no. 3 without caring for himself bcoz he wants another match winner in his lineup. He shouldn't do this in odis otherwise he may suffer
 
BreadPakoda said:
Yes. Must set a precedent here.

Shouldnt follow Sachin’s footsteps though. He didn’t vacate his spot for Gambhir/Sehwag duo that was so much better, and stretched his career for the 100th 100.
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Stop taking shots at Sachin, he was not the captain and moreover Sachin did play at other numbers but his impact is lot higher when he opens.

Kohli is the skipper and as we are seeing he is giving up his spot to others.
 
jeeteshssaxena said:
All speculation about a rift between kl and kohli are baseless. Kohli promoted rahul to no. 3 without caring for himself bcoz he wants another match winner in his lineup. He shouldn't do this in odis otherwise he may suffer
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Wasn't Kohli the one who persisted with Rahul from his debut series in AUS! Injuries are his only concern which keep him out more often than not.
 
IAJ said:
Lol, easy there. Kohli is by far India’s best batsman and most popular batsman. You need to be at top of your game for 6-7 years to start with, to gain that stamp and popularity, it just doesn’t come overnight by smashing club level bowlers on a road.

When Bhuvi goes for 10 an over you can easily say the wicket is too flat.
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He might be the best but if he is still the most popular is now under question marks now. 8/10 Indians right now feel Rahul is fhe man in this team now.
 
AamchiMumbaikar said:
Wasn't Kohli the one who persisted with Rahul from his debut series in AUS! Injuries are his only concern which keep him out more often than not.
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Yeah but many indians were suggesting that kohli doesn't include rahul in the team (loi) due to power politics, which is completely wrong.
 
BreadPakoda said:
Yes. Must set a precedent here.

Shouldnt follow Sachin’s footsteps though. He didn’t vacate his spot for Gambhir/Sehwag duo that was so much better, and stretched his career for the 100th 100.
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Sachin is widely considered as one of the greatest ODI openers of all time.
Why would he consider vacating the position for people who were at best 'good limited overs batsmen' to begin with?
 
TM Riddle said:
Sachin is widely considered as one of the greatest ODI openers of all time.
Why would he consider vacating the position for people who were at best 'good limited overs batsmen' to begin with?
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By that token Virat is one of the greatest no. 3 in ODIs. Why should he “sacrifice” his spot to KL who has done nothing much in ODIs? Gambhir was at least a proven performer and a clutch opener by world cup 2011. Yet he played at #3.
 
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freelance_cricketer said:
He might be the best but if he is still the most popular is now under question marks now. 8/10 Indians right now feel Rahul is fhe man in this team now.
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Huh?? What? 8/10? Bhaijaan you are too much sometimes. I do not believe for one second that Rahul is more popular or better than Kohli. He still has a lot to prove and one innings won't make him the most popular batsman in a country of 1 billion people.
 
OP doth make sense. Kohli must now step back and assume the role of Colonel Trautman dispensing wise counsel from the shadows because KL Rahul is now the rambo in the team.
 
BreadPakoda said:
By that token Virat is one of the greatest no. 3 in ODIs. Why should he “sacrifice” his spot to KL who has done nothing much in ODIs? Gambhir was at least a proven performer and a clutch opener by world cup 2011. Yet he played at #3.
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Rahul is touted as the best batsman to emerge out of Subcontinent in the 21st century (even better than Virat).
Pray tell me when was this case for Gambhir?
And you talk of 2011 wc and yet forgot the immense contribution by an ageing Tendulkar while being an opener.
Your hatred for Sachin is clouding your judgement I'm afraid.
 
TM Riddle said:
Rahul is touted as the best batsman to emerge out of Subcontinent in the 21st century (even better than Virat).
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By who? TM Riddle? Or a person who refers to himself as Bhaijaan, in third person?
Trust me, I don’t “hate” SRT, (not sure where you got that from). I’ve grown up in 90s and loved him bat. Neither do I “hate” Rahul, but this thing is going OTT.
 
What a premature thread.

Discard the IPL from any analysis.

Now - what has Rahul done compared to Kohli?
 
Rahul should settle at number 4 in ODI’s till Sharma Ji retires or gets dropped then he can slot as the opener.

Sharma
Dhawan
Kohli
Rahul
Dhoni
Pandya
K Pandya
Kuldeep
Bhuvi
Shami
Bumrah

This should be our 11 in World Cup.. As long as one of the top 4 plays a good anchor innings we have enough firepower to make competitive totals and good bowling options to restrict other teams.

@freelance cricketer Nice thread:
 
TM Riddle said:
Rahul is touted as the best batsman to emerge out of Subcontinent in the 21st century (even better than Virat).
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I feel sorry for the people who think that. His sample size is extremely small and has done virtually nothing on the international scene compared to Virat,Rohit,Dhoni etc.
 
BreadPakoda said:
By who? TM Riddle? Or a person who refers to himself as Bhaijaan, in third person?
Trust me, I don’t “hate” SRT, (not sure where you got that from). I’ve grown up in 90s and loved him bat. Neither do I “hate” Rahul, but this thing is going OTT.
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Stop hating Bhaijaan. He's been here longer than you and made his place in the hearts of PPers. Give him the benefit of Afridi.
 
Bhaijaan has a great eye for talent. I won't be surprised if Rahul really does start eclipsing Kohli in this lineup.
 
BlackShadow said:
Bhaijaan has a great eye for talent. I won't be surprised if Rahul really does start eclipsing Kohli in this lineup.
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To be honest, the recognition of KL Rahul's talent goes to [MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION]

When KL opened in the 2014-15 tour to Australia, sif had identified him as potentially the next big batsman in Indian cricket.
 
Sidilicious said:
To be honest, the recognition of KL Rahul's talent goes to [MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION]

When KL opened in the 2014-15 tour to Australia, sif had identified him as potentially the next big batsman in Indian cricket.
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Agreed.

Sensy was the guy who spotted Rahul as a once in a generation talent.

Bhaijaan simply believed in him and supported the cause with his heart.
 
3-4 years of similar run and then only this thread will be considered valid enough.
 
Trust me when I say, I knew this was coming. I was waiting for this thread. The ‘unofficial’ Kohli vs Rahul thread. When a couple of threads surfaced just to praise Rahul, there had to be some motive. Here we have it in the form of this thread. Many Indian friends here apparently don’t see anything in it. But I’m sure friends from Pakistan do (and are quite surprised).

KL Rahul is nowhere near Kohli in terms of stature. He has a lot of ground to cover to be considered as someone of Kohli’s stature. It’s funny how people forgot those unbelievable knocks he played over the years to get India home. He’s still our solitary fighter when there’s a crisis. I’ll never forget that run chase against England. KL Rahul is an exceptional talent and has all the makings of an ATG batsman although he has had limited success so far. Kohli is still in a league of his own and is arguably the most popular cricketer in the world. The way he constructs and paces his innings is something very special. I can’t think of another batsman who does it so well. And at the end of all that mastery, India wins. That’s what makes his achievements so special. Kohli can bat like KL Rahul but he’s Kohli; not Rahul. It’s hard to be as consistent as Kohli is with Rahul’s style of batting. It’s surprising how a LOI century from Rahul has made these guys think that he’s better than Kohli. Even if he is, he will need a lot more centuries to prove it. Some Indians here tend to forget the past very quickly. A few comments they made about MSD were quite embarrassing. Yes he’s past his prime and should retire soon. But never forget what he once was and what he has achieved for the team. Some of the comments were so poor that friends from Pakistan had to bat for MSD here.

The OP is very cunning. There’s a reason why I questioned his India should demolish England thread too. Even the most delusional Indian fan would hesitate to start a thread like that. But he did. The logic is very simple if you ask me: the higher you climb, the harder you fall. If India fails to win the series after all that praising, there’d be a great opportunity to start a thread bashing the Indian team and its captain for a long time. Unsuspecting fans who participated in the former thread won’t be able to say much and the mods won’t be able to do anything even if they know what’s happening because things would technically be within the rules of this forum.
 
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How thankless one can be i wish kohli was in our team .rahul might be pretty talented but i am not sure he will cross kohli easily .
 
Kohli in his last series in SA
Tests - 286 runs@47, scored the only 100 of the series
ODIs - 558 runs@186, next best was Dhawan at 328 runs

And OP is calling him being over the hill!
 
I can just laugh at this. Most of the indians even today dont know who KL rahul is. KL right now is not even 25% of Kohli's popularity among indian masses.
 
Did OP forget Kohli's last ODI series had a world record of most runs scored by a batsman in an ODI series by him? That too against no.1 South Africa, away from home. Let Rahul make some noteworthy world records then we can make comparison.
 
saeed5646 said:
How thankless one can be i wish kohli was in our team .rahul might be pretty talented but i am not sure he will cross kohli easily .
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It's just we have bigger expectations from our players. Kohli has done his job perfectly at #3 and now it's time to handover that position to someone younger and more hungrier who wants to prove something. It will reduce the burden on Kohli, so he can just concentrate more on the Test cricket.
 
Why what has Rahul done to merit such high praise and position from OP

I rate him as a batsman but this is puzzling
 
Slog said:
Why what has Rahul done to merit such high praise and position from OP

I rate him as a batsman but this is puzzling
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As Mr.Q said above, the OP is trying to provoke some Indian fans here with these unnecessary threads. Don't take it seriously! Rahul has a long way to go to surpass Kohli in terms of stature and skills! It's just the beginning and happy that he's being consistent now. But it doesn't mean that he's a Superstar already.
 
Lols, what a joke of a thread. A proven performer like Kohli being compared to an upcoming talent who is having a purple patch.

No doubts Rahul is a terrific talent, but cut down the hype guys. Let him be as consistent as Kohli and deliver the goods for atleast two years before we could come back.

Having said that am I not glad that both these guys are aiming at the same goal post? You bet I am :)
 
OP seems to me a novelist rather than an analyst. Building on his imagination and hypothesis, he has figured out how cricketers should define their legacies. And btw it has nothing to do with the runs they score or the matches they win, its about how they should adjust to popularity of their teammates to "define their legacies". Ha!
 
A useless 100 against english attack doesnt make him better than kohli who achieved popularity after 6-7 years of hard work.
it was kohli's big heart to let rahul play at 3. Dont think india would have lost ecen if rahul had not scored a 100.
To match kohli , Rahul has to smash starc or rabada like kohli smashed malinga or he has to score 180 plus against arch rivals.
Or he has to be the man of tournament in 2 WCs

If you really think rahul is as good as kohli then you are in for a massive dissapointment.
Rahul amazing list a and odi numbers also tell a story.
Kohli in test matches is a rutless batter and not a soft 50 makers
And talking about popularity rahul is not even as popular as raina. Everyone knows kohli in ind and pak . Even those who dont follow cricket. Kohli is extremely popular in australia also. I doubt anyone except from die hard followers know him .
All in All this thread is a DISGRACE
 
Kohli is insecure about KL Rahul. He will try to keep him out of the side like he has till now.
 
what a stupid post , Rahul is not even 20% of a batsmen like Kohli or even in popularity , Kohli is single most powerful entity in Indian cricket
 
Kohli is doing to Rishabh Pant right now what he did to Rahul for the last 3 years. A great nation like India should not be held back because of ego of some individuals.

Saying this with utmost respect for King Kohli who is without question the greatest s batsman in the world today and has been for the past many years.

But is he still the most popular? Like Bhaijaan said earlier it is now under question. Rahul could be the Weapon X from here on and Kohli could be forced to play a supportive role like Bobby Deol in Race 3.

There is no shame in this and there is no need to panic like some Indians behaving in this thread as if you took a kids toy from him. Sachin has done it in the past when Sehwag came along. Pontingn did it too when Michael Clarke became the man in the Australian team. It’s not disrespect grow up please it’s called transitioning. Things all great players do to let the young ones take their place and keep the country proud.

If only 1/10th the people had Bhaijaan’s vision and goodness the world would have been a great place.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Kohli is doing to Rishabh Pant right now what he did to Rahul for the last 3 years. A great nation like India should not be held back because of ego of some individuals.

Saying this with utmost respect for King Kohli who is without question the greatest s batsman in the world today and has been for the past many years.

But is he still the most popular? Like Bhaijaan said earlier it is now under question. Rahul could be the Weapon X from here on and Kohli could be forced to play a supportive role like Bobby Deol in Race 3.

There is no shame in this and there is no need to panic like some Indians behaving in this thread as if you took a kids toy from him. Sachin has done it in the past when Sehwag came along. Pontingn did it too when Michael Clarke became the man in the Australian team. It’s not disrespect grow up please it’s called transitioning. Things all great players do to let the young ones take their place and keep the country proud.

If only 1/10th the people had Bhaijaan’s vision and goodness the world would have been a great place.
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Dude u come across as a bit of narcissist, telling world your opinion makes it a better place. Kohli is no one's brother on this forum, atleast not mine, that people ll be worried if he remains the most popular or not. For all I care, Akshar or Parthiv Patel become the most popular cricketers on planet. Most people who responded are getting worked up because of the sheer stupidity of your thread.

U sound like some middle aged aunty gossiping abt relationship between 2 people who she knows nothing about. Or may be you are one!
 
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BreadPakoda said:
By who? TM Riddle? Or a person who refers to himself as Bhaijaan, in third person?
Trust me, I don’t “hate” SRT, (not sure where you got that from). I’ve grown up in 90s and loved him bat. Neither do I “hate” Rahul, but this thing is going OTT.
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Very sensible post. Its pretty much in line with threads from our side hyping Babar Azam. Poor stuff from the bhaijan.
 
Bhaijan, maybe KL Rahul should better Babar Azam and then think about over-taking the best batsman in the world, Kohli.
 
So Rahul will bat at number 3 now and Kohli at 4 in LOIs? Not sure what the fuss is about. But why does Rahul have to bat at 3. It would be better for the team if Kohli batted at 3 and Rahul batted at 4, given their style of batting.
 
I am big fan of KL Rahul but saying that he is better than Kohli "the one above all" is over statement. Only time will tell if KL rahul become another sachin tendulkar or vinod kambli.

Lex Luthor to A.M.A.Z.0 on evolution :
There's no way to tell. That's why I stay in the game. My purpose, if you will, is to see where it's all going. And you! You'll live forever. You'll be able to see it all.
 
Right word is complementing not taking a back seat. Why should an ace batsman take the backseat. Author is not understanding cricket is a team sports.
 
After one outstanding inning, you start contemplating KL Rahul becoming more popular than Kohli and suggest Kohli should become a anchor role?
 
KL Rahul is talented, very very talented.

But he is no Kohli as of yet.

Unfortunately, the only person who may not realize this is VK himself.
 
Not a big fan of kohli but he should stay at 3 in odis atleast and i don't see any reason for rahul to play at 4. He can slog big and will have like 20 - 25 overs on avg everytime to bat in odis.
 
Kohli dismantling Malinga is still back of my mind, fresh. So, NO, it will take tons of matches before KL becomes more popular.

Kohli is Armageddon to oppositions.
 
Kohli couldn't care less whether he's a top batsmen or not. He's reached a stage in his career where he just wants to do it for his team and it shows in his selection of playing XI.

It is but for his fans and haters to keep the argument going.
 
Kohli's not unused to being the Bobby Deol of Race 3. He's been living in the shadows of AB De Villiers and Chris Gayle in the RCB for years. He was the 3rd most popular player in that side despite being the better overall international cricketer just like he is most definitely going to be the 2nd most popular batsman in this Indian team now after KL Rahul regardless of who is the overall more superior player.

I am now slowly beginning to realize why Indians are considered so annoying by most neutral fans. Height of insecurity.
 
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We Pakistanis love Kohli and the respect we gave him we haven't given it to any other Indian cricketer before (not even Sachin, Saurav or Sehwag) and he has earned that respect. The way he anchor his inning especially in ODIs while chasing, its just pure class. I don't why he is being compared with other youngsters, no point no comparison.
 
You can call it annoying with height of insecurity, but I call it passionate and critical in judgement with flair of jazbaati attitude. If you don't like strong opinions then don't have one, oh wait, that's what the opening post is suggesting. :sendoff
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Kohli's not unused to being the Bobby Deol of Race 3. He's been living in the shadows of AB De Villiers and Chris Gayle in the RCB for years. He was the 3rd most popular player in that side despite being the better overall international cricketer just like he is most definitely going to be the 2nd most popular batsman in this Indian team now after KL Rahul regardless of who is the overall more superior player.

I am now slowly beginning to realize why Indians are considered so annoying by most neutral fans. Height of insecurity.
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Insecurity about what? Rahul replacing Kohli as most popular Indian player is complete nonsense. Debunking nonsense statements is not insecurity.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Kohli's not unused to being the Bobby Deol of Race 3. He's been living in the shadows of AB De Villiers and Chris Gayle in the RCB for years. He was the 3rd most popular player in that side despite being the better overall international cricketer just like he is most definitely going to be the 2nd most popular batsman in this Indian team now after KL Rahul regardless of who is the overall more superior player.

I am now slowly beginning to realize why Indians are considered so annoying by most neutral fans. Height of insecurity.
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Well, bhaijan has a good logic as well. Tough to decide if to believe him or not.
 
AssassinatedDevil said:
I feel sorry for the people who think that. His sample size is extremely small and has done virtually nothing on the international scene compared to Virat,Rohit,Dhoni etc.
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BreadPakoda said:
Statement isn’t untrue. What has KL done so far that puts him ahead of Sharma in LOIs?
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Shown intent.
I would pick parthiv Patel ahead of this guy, at least won't cost us matches with his selfish batting
 
jusarrived said:
Shown intent.
I would pick parthiv Patel ahead of this guy, at least won't cost us matches with his selfish batting
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While KL is a great prospect, and I was in fact the poster who started the "why KL is being left out?" thread on PP, he has done absolutely nothing of note in the chances given to him in ODIs.
And while he deserves chances on the basis of his potential, he should not be even mentioned in the same sentence with Rohit, who happens to be 1/3rd of our batting line up.
 
I got OP's point. But I dont understand on what basis is he claiming that Rahul is or will be more popular than Kohli?
 
India could very well have lost to Bangladesh in 2015 qf had there not been Rohit Sharma.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...vs-india-2nd-quarter-final-world-cup-2014-15/

He was instrumental in CT13 win and in so many other wins against good opponents. The guy has 2 double centuries in ODIs for God sake, one of which is a 264. He has ruined playing in India for Ozzies forever with his 209 against them and completely demoralized a team called Sri Lanka. I can go on and on...

How is Parthiv Patel better than him?
 
BreadPakoda said:
While KL is a great prospect, and I was in fact the poster who started the "why KL is being left out?" thread on PP, he has done absolutely nothing of note in the chances given to him in ODIs.
And while he deserves chances on the basis of his potential, he should not be even mentioned in the same sentence with Rohit, who happens to be 1/3rd of our batting line up.
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Rohit is a no impact player, I can't think of one innings of his we won because of him, basically stats boosting few big hundreds on 60m grounds. Just don't rate such players and its a joke to mention him in same sentence as MS or Virat.
 
Both can play in the same without any trouble. It will be interesting to see if Kohli sacrifices his number 3 position in ODIs for KL.

I'm not going to read too much into him dropping down to 4 in a meangliness T20 series. Kohli knows this series isn't important . He is giving KL a chance to prove himself further in international cricket by batting him at 3.
 
jusarrived said:
Rohit is a no impact player, I can't think of one innings of his we won because of him, basically stats boosting few big hundreds on 60m grounds. Just don't rate such players and its a joke to mention him in same sentence as MS or Virat.
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Well I just shared link for 2015 WC QF scorecard
 
Very good thread Bhaijaan ! About time now.

Some people may feel this is premature, but if you are a batting connoisseur and have followed KL Rahul's batting over the years - this thread should be no surprise.

I first saw him bat in the Ranji trophy live about 5-6 years ago and started rating him ever since. Dale Steyn also saw him batting in the nets that year in IPL and he had this to say:
"KL Rahul is, in my opinion, a man destined to play for India. I've seen a few batsmen in my career and he is serious class. It may not happen this year, or even next, but I expect him to play for his country under MS Dhoni at some point." And this when he was nowhere near national selection.

And boy was he right! He did play for India within a year of that prophecy and scored a Test hundred against Australia in Australia in just his second Test. More than the century, it was the ease with which he faced bouncers that stood out. Indian batsmen generally struggle against bounce initially, even Kohli struggled against bouncers on his first tour to WI and it took him more than an year to master it.

While he was always a very solid batsman in the longer format (having Dravid as his role model and mentor probably helped), the way he turned around his game to become an accomplished limited-overs batsman after the utter failure in his first IPL (looked completely at sea, a bit like Pujara in T20s) really separated him from the rest of the talented batsmen around. And he didn't really change his technique much and start to slog, what changed was his mindset; Even his lofted shots seem like an extension of his drives. There was a time one wouldn't imagine he could succeed in T20s and now he has 2 T20 hundreds ! Not to mention Test hundreds in Australia, SL, WI and of course India. That is not to say, he hasn't failed. He was poor in the 2 Tests he played in SA recently. But one thing is certain, he is a much better Test opener outside the sub-continent than Dhawan and needs to be backed by Kohli.

And though it may seem like hyperbole, but to me, KL Rahul is a more naturally talented batsman than Kohli. Yes, talent is not the only ingredient for greatness; mental and physical toughness coupled with dollops of batting intelligence eventually make the difference between a good and a great batsman. So, going forward, the real test for Rahul will be to see if he can remain fit, healthy and mentally resilient to overcome unfamiliar conditions and situations. Especially, given the amount of time he has been out of cricket due to various injuries and illnesses. Not to discount the team management and skipper's role in keeping him out of the ODI and even the Test side on occasion - He has played just 10 ODIs in 4 years (3 were as part of second string side on a Zim tour). For a comparison, Rayudu has played thrice that amount in the same period.
 
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jusarrived said:
Rohit is a no impact player, I can't think of one innings of his we won because of him, basically stats boosting few big hundreds on 60m grounds. Just don't rate such players and its a joke to mention him in same sentence as MS or Virat.
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My brother Jusarrived i think you're going bit too harsh on The Hitman. We all agree on one thing that he isn't quality enough for test cricket, or in seaming conditions against quality pacers like say Anderson or Amir. That stays with Rohit. But so do most other batsmen except a few who do it that well wherever they play. To say however that Rohit has never won matches for India or that he is a no impact player man just isn't true. Like Pakoda mentioned above he's monstrous on good batting pitches and when he's not knocked out by a top seamer with the new ball early on he could be a nightmare. When the ball moves around even Kohli hasn't been all that. He was bullied to no end by Junaid Khan in India logn ago, Anderson in England and in champiosn trophy final he had no clue against Amir. In fact he got bit lucky against Amir in CT and Asia cup before that as well. No doubt Kohli's the much better player overall but Sharma is right up there as is backed up by his numbers. ODI average of 45 is quality.
 
BreadPakoda said:
India could very well have lost to Bangladesh in 2015 qf had there not been Rohit Sharma.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...vs-india-2nd-quarter-final-world-cup-2014-15/

He was instrumental in CT13 win and in so many other wins against good opponents. The guy has 2 double centuries in ODIs for God sake, one of which is a 264. He has ruined playing in India for Ozzies forever with his 209 against them and completely demoralized a team called Sri Lanka. I can go on and on...

How is Parthiv Patel better than him?
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Do you realize he opens for us and gets to play on these flat pitches against weak sides more often than any other player? So he scores a few hundreds against weak attacks on flat roads? Such a big deal now that its tough to find FTBs in India?
He's cost india more matches with his slow batting, hiding behind Dhawan who takes all the risk wasting PPs. Until we kick this guy out we aren't winning anything major
 
Abhilash93 said:
Very good thread Bhaijaan ! About time now.

Some people may feel this is premature, but if you are a batting connoisseur and have followed KL Rahul's batting over the years - this thread should be no surprise.

I first saw him bat in the Ranji trophy live about 5-6 years ago and started rating him ever since. Dale Steyn also saw him batting in the nets that year in IPL and he had this to say:
"KL Rahul is, in my opinion, a man destined to play for India. I've seen a few batsmen in my career and he is serious class. It may not happen this year, or even next, but I expect him to play for his country under MS Dhoni at some point." And this when he was nowhere near national selection.

And boy was he right! He did play for India within a year of that prophecy and scored a Test hundred against Australia in Australia in just his second Test. More than the century, it was the ease with which he faced bouncers that stood out. Indian batsmen generally struggle against bounce initially, even Kohli struggled against bouncers on his first tour to WI and it took him more than an year to master it.

While he was always a very solid batsman in the longer format (having Dravid as his role model and mentor probably helped), the way he turned around his game to become an accomplished limited-overs batsman after the utter failure in his first IPL (looked completely at sea, a bit like Pujara in T20s) really separated him from the rest of the talented batsmen around. And he didn't really change his technique much and start to slog, what changed was his mindset; Even his lofted shots seem like an extension of his drives. There was a time one wouldn't imagine he could succeed in T20s and now he has 2 T20 hundreds ! Not to mention Test hundreds in Australia, SL, WI and of course India. That is not to say, he hasn't failed. He was poor in the 2 Tests he played in SA recently. But one thing is certain, he is a much better Test opener outside the sub-continent than Dhawan and needs to be backed by Kohli.

And though it may seem like hyperbole, but to me, KL Rahul is a more naturally talented batsman than Kohli. Yes, talent is not the only ingredient for greatness; mental and physical toughness coupled with dollops of batting intelligence eventually make the difference between a good and a great batsman. So, going forward, the real test for Rahul will be to see if he can remain fit, healthy and mentally resilient to overcome unfamiliar conditions and situations. Especially, given the amount of time he has been out of cricket due to various injuries and illnesses. Not to discount the team management and skipper's role in keeping him out of the ODI and even the Test side on occasion - He has played just 10 ODIs in 4 years (3 were as part of second string side on a Zim tour). For a comparison, Rayudu has played thrice that amount in the same period.
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I said it last week and will repeat, not since Tendulkar has a batsman lit my eyes with his batting like the way KL Rahul has. He carries that aura of a once in a generation player that a romantic of this game can't miss.

It's just God given.

That flicked six he hit at 3: 39. You can't train someone to do that. It is show off.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R3fRIgNOdio" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Kohli's batting is like taking staircase but KL's batting is like taking lift. Just so effortless when he hits sixes.
 
Balthazar said:
Kohli's batting is like taking staircase but KL's batting is like taking lift. Just so effortless when he hits sixes.
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Lifts fail. Stairs don’t. Hence the different approach.
 
Oxfordchamp said:
It's a win win for Indian cricket.. contrary to what people think here, virat will be delighted to see Rahul flourish..
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Ideally he should be happy that finally someone has come along who can take the pressure of responsibility and of limelight away from him or at least share it with him to an extent.

Which is why this is going to be a test of his maturity and will define his legacy.

He can either get desperate and jealous, try to fight it out and get the limelight back along with the additional burden.

Or he can do the ideal thing and let Rahul have the limelight and play the Bobby Deol himself.

Just imagine if it wasn’t for Rahul would he have been even in a position to play a knock liken he did in the last match? Media and fans would have torn him apart for playing slow and hurting the momentum. It was Rahul who allowed Kohli to have his net practice session there in an international match because finally Kohli was my exoected to race to the finish line.

This should get the best of Kohli if he has the aptitude to play his cards right here.

He should do the same in tests. Help groom others around him so that the burden isn’t always on him.

People have to know ODI cricket records have become a joke in modern age. Just look at Amla, all the runs and centuries in ODIs but once his test numbers are hurt his legacy falls apart.

If Kohli doesn’t end up having a good test record his ODI record wouldn’t feel all that great as it does now. It’s a bitter fact.

If Rahul ends up dominating a few big stakes test series and Kohli doesn’t, you never know people might end up rating him above. It’s not over till it’s over. Kohli’s legacy isn’t secure until he hangs up his boots. Indians need to be more open about these things.
 
Hasan123 said:
Both can play in the same without any trouble. It will be interesting to see if Kohli sacrifices his number 3 position in ODIs for KL.

I'm not going to read too much into him dropping down to 4 in a meangliness T20 series. Kohli knows this series isn't important . He is giving KL a chance to prove himself further in international cricket by batting him at 3.
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Kohl has expressed clearly he wants a flexible batting lineup. Obviously he is ok with no 3 as Raul and I think he and Raul will both occupy slot 3 in turns with sometimes possibly raina coming in at 3 for 350 plus chases
 
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