Opinion: Why Indian selectors should consider Ajinkya Rahane over KL Rahul for the ICC Cricket World Cup

Recently, India’s test vice-captain and the usually reticent Ajinkya Rahane has opened up about his desire to be considered for the upcoming ICC World Cup.

Rahane has established himself as a key member of India’s Test team but has struggled to become a permanent member of the Kohli-led ODI team. Since the 2018 South Africa series, he seems to have gone out of favour and has since not played a game.

In that series, he batted at number four and played in all the six matches. Though his performance was not electrifying, he still managed a respectable average of around 35, at a strike rate of 77.

He is one of the few Indian batsmen who seem adept at batting at any position in the batting line up. In the 2017 Caribbean series, he helped India win the series 3-1, by his superlative performances at the top of the order.

He has played ninety ODIs so far and averages 35.26 with a strike rate of 78.63. It is important to note here that even though his strike rate may seem a tad on the lower side, the fact is that a fair number of these matches were played in the early part of this decade before the 300-plus scores became a regular phenomenon in international cricket.

It is baffling that the selectors have decided to ignore him for the entirety of the Australia series, which is the last ODI series India plays before embarking on to the shores of England, even though chief selector MSK Prasad has said that Rahane is very much in the scheme of things for the world cup.

KL Rahul is a cricketer who will be eyeing a spot in the World Cup squad

This exclusion seems quite unfair on Rahane, especially considering that an out-of-form KL Rahul is being given so many chances. Rahul has played only thirteen ODIs, in which his average is pretty similar to that of Rahane at 35.2, and contrary to the popular perception, his strike rate of 80.6 is only a tad higher than that of Rahane.

Unlike Rahane who can be in the team both as an opener and a middle-order batsman or a finisher, Rahul seems to be comfortable only as an opening batsman. If Rahul is ultimately selected in the team, it is highly unlikely that he will get any chance in the playing eleven if both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan remain fit.

On the other hand, Rahane could not only be in the team as a reserve opening batsman but would also open up options in a still unsettled middle order. Moreover, he brings in vast experience into the side. There is certainly a case of including Rahane in India’s world cup squad over Rahul.