KL Rahul Should Replace Shikhar Dhawan As Opener In T20Is: Krishnamachari Srikkanth

India suffered a 7-wicket defeat in the opening match of the 3-match T20I series at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in Delhi.

The men in blue failed to defend a total of 148 which was chased down by the tourists courtesy the swashbuckling performance from the wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim (60) who turned up as the savior for Mahmudullah’s men.

The likes of Soumya Sarkar (39) and Mohammad Naim (26) laid the winning foundation which, in the end, ensured the Bangla Tigers a 1-0 lead over Rohit Sharma & co.

While one could possibly say that it was a close encounter and the outcome could have favored either team, the Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan (41) was held responsible for the defeat owing to his sluggish knock which comprised of 3 fours and a six while playing at a strike rate of 97.62.

The former Indian skipper Krish Srikkanth feels the need for an alternative to the left-hander. The former chairman of selectors has suggested an option in the form of KL Rahul alongside Rohit Sharma as an opener.

The 59-year-old believes that India should freely experiment with the players for World T20 2020 and the defeat at Delhi shouldn’t generate a knee-jerk reaction from the team. 

“In my opinion, the defeat in Delhi should not lead to any knee-jerk reaction. With the T20 World Cup in mind, these experiments are required and if you’re not fielding the best side, a reversal has to be accepted as part of the learning,” said the 59-year-old in his column for the Times of India.

KL Rahul holds a stellar record in the T20Is with 914 runs in 26 innings at an average and a strike rate of 41.55 and 146.47 respectively.

He has scored two centuries and five half-centuries which furthermore strengthens his credentials as a T20I batsman. Whether the 27-year old gets the nod to open the batting in the forthcoming T20Is is something that lies in the hands of team management.

The second T20I will be played on November 7 at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.