India vs West Indies 2022: Where must KL Rahul bat?

With Rohit Sharma's return as skipper in the upcoming series against the West Indies, the focus is again on where KL Rahul must bat in ODIs. The stand-in skipper opened the innings in all three games against South Africa recently and notched up just one half-century from three games.

The Indian squad for the tour has three openers — Sharma, Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and Ishan Kishan. The side might be tempted to slot Sharma and Dhawan as openers (the left-right combination serves as an added advantage), while Rahul, who's seen some success batting down the order, can be slotted in at No.4 or No.5.

India experimented with Rishabh Pant at No.4 in the ODI series against the Proteas. The move didn't exactly pay dividends despite one massive knock by the wicket-keeper bat.

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Where should KL Rahul bat in the ODIs against WI?

A quick look at the numbers suggests that Rahul has had success as an opener and while batting at No.5. The Karnataka batter lends stability in both positions.

As an opener, Rahul has stacked up 669 runs from 16 matches at an average of 47.78. He recorded two centuries and five fifties in that position. At No.5, he's scored 453 runs from ten innings at an average of 56.62. He propped up a century and four half-centuries in that position, tipping the scales to play at No.5.

Rahul at No.5 allows for Shreyas Iyer/Venkatesh Iyer to play the role of a finisher. This, however, would mean Sharma, Kishan and Virat Kohli taking the top three slots. If India persists with Pant at No.4, Rahul, the Iyer duo or Suryakumar Yadav can come in at No.6.

Here's what the ideal XI could look like if India decide to play KL Rahul at No.5:

Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan/Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer/Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel.