IND vs NZ 2026: ‘He is India’s Sankat Mochan’ – Irfan Pathan hails KL Rahul as India’s crisis man

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan lavished rich praise on KL Rahul, terming him a rare and invaluable asset in modern-day cricket for India after his scintillating knock in the ongoing series against New Zealand. The former left-arm pacer was analysing India’s loss against New Zealand in the second ODI at Rajkot, but hailed Rahul for his unbeaten century in the first innings at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Wednesday.

Pathan highlighted Rahul’s adaptability, experience, and ability to absorb pressure, calling him India’s saviour. KL Rahul, who came into bat after the Men in Blue had suffered a minor batting collapse. The ace cricketer first steadied the ship with Ravindra Jadeja with a solid 73-run partnership, and then launched an attack on the Kiwis with a gritty 112 runs in 92 balls. Hailing Rahul, Irfan praised the wicketkeeper for scoring runs despite the conditions being adverse. 

“No amount of praise is enough for KL Rahul. He batted at No.5 and No.6. He is a versatile player and modern-day cricket rarely has such a player. Rahul opens in Test cricket and bats down the order in ODIs. Rahul is at a stage where he has an opportunity to refine his game and his average is above 50. His strike rate used to be about 85 and it has surged to above 90. Despite the fall of wickets, Rahul was rotating the strike. Ravindra Jadeja struggled to do it but Rahul still had a strike rate of 91 against spinners,” said Irfan while speaking on his YouTube channel.

The cricketer-turned-commentator further credited Rahul’s all-dimensional game, before calling him India’s ‘Sankat Mochan’(Crisis Man). 

“He has a range of shots – plays sweep and does well on back foot and front foot. He has all the shots even against the fast bowlers. He is using his experience exceptionally well. I call him ‘Sankat mochan’ and he has justified that tag,” he concluded. 

New Zealand bounced back in style after suffering a defeat in the first ODI to level the three-match series. Chasing a modest 285 runs, the Kiwis registered a famous win, powered by Daryl Mitchell’s 131 knock. He was named the player of the match. India will now take on New Zealand in a series decider at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, on Sunday, January 18.  

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