"The team management has made it very close" - Gautam Gambhir feels KL Rahul has secured wicketkeeper-batter berth for ODI World Cup

Gautam Gambhir feels KL Rahul has sealed the wicketkeeper-batter's slot in India's ICC ODI World Cup squad. The mega event starts next month in India.

Rahul returned to action during the Super Four clash of Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan after a long injury layoff. He scored a majestic hundred against the Men in Green and followed up with a grinding knock of 39 on a challenging wicket against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

He also donned the wicketkeeper gloves in both games ahead of Ishan Kishan, indicating that Rahul will be the first-choice option in the World Cup, too.

"I think the team management has made it very close that it's going to be KL Rahul who would be keeping in the World Cup because there was Ishan Kishan, Gambhir said on Star Sports.

"If Kishan was in the scheme of things of playing on the 11th against Australia, then he would have kept wickets for India because he was the main wicket-keeper, but now in the last two games, KL Rahul has kept wickets," he added.

KL Rahul has also looked assured behind the wickets and grabbed a couple of good catches.

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"The number five position is now open" - Gautam Gambhir

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that the No. 5 slot is now open. Gautam Gambhir said that there are a couple of options, including bringing in Shreyas Iyer, playing Suryakumar at No. 7 and Hardik Pandya at five or placing Ravindra Jadeja at No.5.

"So the number five position is now open," Gambhir continued. "Whether Shreyas Iyer comes into it, whether they play Suryakumar at seven and Hardik at five or Jadeja at five, now KL Rahul has secured that number four spot as a wicketkeeper-batsman."

"So, it is pretty much clear, which is good for Indian cricket that they have backed KL Rahul as a wicketkeeper now and who's batting at number four," he added.

It's worth noting that Shreyas Iyer missed India's last two games due to a back spasm. However, he showed good form during his brief stay in the middle against Pakistan in the group stage.

He's expected to return to the playing XI in the final Super 4 game against Bangladesh on Friday in Colombo.