India didn't have "extra fire" in the lost opening Test against South Africa but a "mental shift" turned things around, said KL Rahul after the visitors won the second game to level the two-match rubber in Cape Town.
Dismissing suggestions that Virat Kohli should open the batting in the T20 World Cup, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has firmly backed K L Rahul to do the job, saying the out-of-form batter has "probably got more ability".
While the first India vs New Zealand ODI will be played at Vadodara, the second match will get underway at Rajkot. The teams will face off for the final ODI of the series at Indore.
Rahul, who has failed to cross the 25-run mark in his last 10 Test innings, was removed as vice-captain following the second Test in Delhi
LSG skipper KL Rahul said Mayank had complained of slight pain in his sides.
Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul's grih pravesh puja was all about love, tradition, and togetherness
Karnataka on shaky ground against Punjab despite Rahul's fifty; Desai puts Saurashtra on cusp of win
Dhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand in Vadodara.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce a revised central contract system, under which the Grade A+ category will be discontinued.
Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain also praised Rahul's methodical approach to batting.
At stumps, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav were at the crease with India requiring another 522 runs to win and level the two-Test series.
Kohli was happy that Rahul batted at No 5 and also kept wickets
Virat and Rohit have made oppositions look silly, fun to see them in dressing room: KL Rahul
KL Rahul's prolonged slump in form is likely to cost him his place for the third Test
KL Rahul said that he has surprised himself with how calm he was on Day 1
Senior India opener KL Rahul was on Tuesday ruled out of the two-Test series against New Zealand due to a muscle strain in his left thigh.
Rahul sits in the third position with Aaron Finch, who completed his 1,000 runs in 29 innings.
All eyes will be on Shubman Gill when Ranji Trophy resumes on Thursday after India's Test and ODI captain decided against taking a break and opting to turn up for Punjab against Saurashtra in a key Group B clash in Rajkot.
Buzz has it that Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul have been dating each other. Despite their public appearances, the two have neither denied nor confirmed their relationship.
BCCI Medical Team has assessed KL Rahul and cleared him to play in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe.
Rahul failed to convert his resilient start into a three-digit score across both innings but was pivotal in India's fight to draw the Test and keep India alive in the series.
'I wasn't among the runs but the pitch was good and I made the most of it'
KL Rahul relieved to get first ODI win in South Africa
Patidar was dropped thrice on the day en route his hundred and Rahul was livid with his team's fielding.
He captioned the post with, 'Starting to feel like me again'.
India skipper KL Rahul said his side needed to be sharper in key moments but felt the toss played a decisive role in the home team's four-wicket loss to South Africa in the second ODI, in Raipur, on Tuesday.
India skipper Virat Kohli operates at 200 per cent and has the unbelievable ability to inspire his teammates to do the same, reckons stylish batsman KL Rahul.
Rahul shared a picture on Instagram where he can be seen sharpening his skills ahead of the opening match.
India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.
Auqib Nabi, Jammu and Kashmir's key bowler, is focused on performing well in the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka, aiming to leverage his adaptive skills and contribute to his team's success.
'KL was excellent in nullifying that early threat and played very straight.'
'What do you want us to do?': KL's heated exchange with umpire Dharamsena during Oval Test
Sunil Gavaskar wants KL Rahul to open in place of an out-of-form Prithvi Shaw
K L Rahul has become the co-owner of the Goa Guardians franchise ahead of the fourth season of the Prime Volleyball League.
Pant cops blow during nets ahead of ODI series against New Zealand
Kohli's 124 in vain as New Zealand beat India by 41 runs in 3rd ODI to clinch series 2-1
Devdutt Padikkal, who appears to have found a magic bat of sorts and is scoring runs at will, will hold the key to Karnataka's chances as they take on Vidarbha in the first semifinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Bengaluru on Thursday.
India wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul says he is the "most comfortable" playing as an opener in the T20 format as it gives him the chance to make the 'best impact'.
Shubman Gill is set to use the Vijay Hazare Trophy as his first platform for response after being left out of India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
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