KL Rahul is the crisis man, just like Rahul Dravid: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian opening batter and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on the Indian middle-order batter KL Rahul, who smacked an exceptional century in the second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot.

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Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar called KL Rahul the crisis man, comparing him to the legendary cricketer Rahul Dravid, adding that whenever the team is in trouble, the team can depend on him.

“Look, he’s always been a class act. He’s always been a wonderful, wonderful batter to watch. He’s got everything in the book, he’s got the technique, he’s got the temperament, he’s got the range of shots,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

“He is the crisis man, just like another Rahul from Karnataka, Rahul Dravid. Whenever there is trouble, you can depend on him. You’re breathing easy, knowing that he will take care of whatever is happening,” he added.

Moving into the details of the second ODI, India was tasked to bat first after losing the toss. At one stage, they were at 118/4 in 23.3 overs, losing both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. However, KL Rahul stood tall, scoring a century off 87 balls, and he eventually ended on an unbeaten 112 from 92 balls as India posted 284/7 in 50 overs on a flat wicket.

“Whether it’s opening the batting or playing in the middle order, at four, five, or six, you saw the way he handled that pressure situation and took the team home. This time around, he’s given them at least 40–50 more runs than what otherwise would have happened,” Gavaskar stated.

In response, New Zealand finished off the game with 15 balls to spare, courtesy of Will Young's 87-run knock and Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 131-run knock off 117 balls. These two sides will next clash against each other in the series decider on Sunday, January 18, in Indore.

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