WTC Final: Where does KL Rahul fit in India's playing XI?

Take a glance at India's squad ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and you'll notice more than seven players pick themselves. Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal will jostle for the opening slots. Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane form the middle order.

Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja make the lower order. Should Kohli decide to go in with his five-bowler theory, he will have a couple of all-rounders in the form of his tweakers.

So the question is: Where does KL Rahul bat? And for that matter, where does he even fit as far as India's Test plans are concerned?

If anything, all he's managed to do is find an additional spot in the squad and watch quietly from the sidelines for the last couple of tours.

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KL Rahul - the wicketkeeper

KL Rahul in place of Pant borders between probably and unlikely

KL's fate hinges between 'possibly' and 'unlikely' in terms of playing chances. Pant's rapid rise as the side's gloveman blocks KL Rahul's path to break into the playing XI.

It's a crowded middle order and Pant comes across as the ideal choice considering his recent run of form with the side. His last 10 innings have seen him score 511 runs comprising of four fifties and a ton at an average of 63.9. The last time he boasted of a healthy average (72.3) was in 2019. However, it has to be noted he played only four innings during that period.

Rahul last donned his whites in 2019 against the West Indies. India blanked the hosts 2-0, but the Karnataka batsman had scores of 13 and 6. The second innings score all but confirmed the fact that he would be ousted as he scratched around for 63 balls before walking back to the pavilion.

That said, the tour is long and traveling with a large contingent is imperative. The trip to Australia was a perfect example of how injuries could hamper a side's winning chances. Rahul, the wicketkeeper, is not a bad option should Pant get a niggle or an injury.

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KL Rahul - the specialist batsman

Three quicks and a spinner mean India head into the WTC final with one bowler short and a batting-heavy unit. Despite the firepower at the top, the prospect of having an extra batsman is interesting and KL Rahul could well be that player.

This means sacrificing the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari. Both players provide handy all-round options, but Rahul might be able to replace them. This gives him the responsibility to shepherd the lower order and the tail if the top five succumb quickly.

With the Kiwis' three-pronged pace attack comprising of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson, the Indian think-tank might just look at beefing up their middle order and Rahul fits the bill perfectly. His recent form in white ball cricket cannot be ignored and that helps make his case to find a slot.

But will he get a chance? And if he does, will it prove to be a counter-productive move?