Former India cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh asked the management to consider veteran India batter KL Rahul for selection in the T20I squad after Team India’s poor show in the third T20I against England in Nottingham on July 7. Chasing 202 for the win, the Indian team were bundled out for an embarrassing 76 in 11.4 overs, suffering a 125-run loss.

He said on his Instagram handle after the third England T20I: “The next T20 World Cup will be on potentially challenging pitches in Australia and New Zealand. Considering that, it is paramount India add a batter capable of handling high-quality fast bowlers. Thinking in that direction, the first name that automatically comes to mind is KL Rahul. He responded to the criticisms around his strike rate with his performance in this IPL. He is also one of only three players to have ever scored a 150.”

READ HERE: Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On ODI Futures Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli

“India need batters capable of playing guys like Archer in Australian conditions and also ones that can handle crisis. Just slogging and aiming for only 6s and 4s will result in more such 70 and 80 all-outs. That is why batters like KL Rahul must be considered,” he further added.

Sadagoppan Ramesh also said that KL Rahul’s improved batting in the IPL must be rewarded with a place in the Indian T20I team, especially given the likely conditions at the 2028 T20 World Cup as well. KL Rahul had a great IPL season this year, scoring 593 runs at an average of 45.61 and a strike rate of 174.41 in 14 matches as well.

“You can’t consider the IPL only for certain players. KL Rahul must also atleast be in the radar. Also, for a team that looks so much at matchups with the ball, India don’t seem to care about matchups with the bat. The lineup is full of left-handers and so India must add a few right-handers. Purely because of where the next T20 World is going to be played, KL Rahul has to be in the radar,” concluded Sadagoppan Ramesh.