India vs West Indies, 2nd ODI: Returning KL Rahul offers Team India both solace and a headache

Decoding the KL Rahul puzzleWhen someone who averages 46. 61 in 41 ODIs with a strike-rate of 88. 25 is available again for selection, is also a part of the leadership group, can keep wickets and also float around in the batting order, the team management is generally chuffed. Make no mistake, skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid will welcome KL Rahul with open arms when India start preparing for Wednesday's second ODI. Rahul missed the first ODI because of a family engagement.

But his return will make the management group scratch their heads to find the right batting spot for him, something that has not really happened consistently. Shikhar Dhawan's and Ruturaj Gaikwad's unavailability due to Covid meant that Ishan Kishan had to partner Rohit at the top in the first ODI. But with Rahul back, he could be at the top of the order come Wednesday. But is it the right spot for a batter like him? Since he became the first Indian to score a ODI ton on debut in Zimbabwe in 2016, Rahul, a behemoth in T20 franchise cricket and international cricket as an opening batter and Rohit's opening partner, has not been given a consistent run either in the middle-order or the top-order in 50-overs cricket. The constant shuffling made him lose his place in 2017 as his average plummeted to single digits. In the 2019 World Cup too, he was the designated No. 4 batter before Dhawan's hand injury in the game against Australia forced the team management to put him back as an opener. It was a success as English conditions allowed him to play the waiting role and then go for his shots.

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India vice-captain KL Rahul, opener Mayank Agarwal, who has