Could be even blamed for Indian diplomatic relations with the world

Former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh defended veteran wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul after the side’s series-deciding 27-run loss in the third ODI against England at Lord’s on July 19. Chasing 388 for victory, the Men in Blue kept up with the asking rate until the final 10 overs, after which the match slipped away.

Rahul walked into bat at No.6 with India requiring 84 off the final six overs. However, two glorious boundaries, he fell to Jofra Archer for an 8-ball 12 to effectively seal India’s fate.

Team India eventually lost by 27 runs, suffering a 1-2 defeat in the ODI series to England.

Following the contest, a user on X questioned whether Rahul would receive the same treatment as Rohit Sharma, referring to the latter’s recent speculation.

In response, Dodda Ganesh defended KL Rahul, through his X handle, saying:

“The reason KL Rahul faces so much hate and bullying online despite his unreal numbers and versatility in ODIs, is accounts like these. The game was practically over by the time KL came to bat at no 6; but who gets the blame? It’s KL again. At this rate KL could be even blamed for Indian diplomatic relations with the rest of the world.”

Despite his excellent overall ODI record, Rahul batted at No.6 in the first and third ODIs of the series, while missing the second ODI due to illness. The right-hander found the going tough, scoring only a combined 13 runs at an average of 6.50.

“Absolute waste of a genuine batter” – Dodda Ganesh on KL Rahul’s demotion in the batting order

Dodda Ganesh further slammed the Indian team management for wasting KL Rahul down the order after the England ODI series. The 34-year-old boasts incredible ODI numbers with 3,412 runs at an average of 49.44 and a strike rate of over 91 in 98 outings.

“KL Rahul, after owning no 5 with unreal numbers, being pushed to no 6 looks something like this. Absolute waste of a genuine batter,” posted Dodda Ganesh on his X handle.

Rahul also boasts phenomenal ODI numbers at No.5, averaging over 63 at a strike rate of 100.59 in 35 innings.