In the corporate world, “competitive pragmatism” refers to a practical, result-driven mindset. It’s a philosophy Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill may need to embrace when shaping India’s ODI batting order—especially regarding KL Rahul’s position.
Despite being India’s most dependable middle-order batter, Rahul rarely gets a consistent run at his preferred No. 5 slot. Team management often shuffles him around to create left-right combinations or to stretch the batting depth, prioritizing tactical experiments over proven stability.
In reality, Rahul fits perfectly into this crucial role. When the top order fires, he complements them. When the top crumbles—as seen in Rajkot against New Zealand—Rahul anchors the innings and rescues the side. Batting at No. 5 in that match, he produced a magnificent unbeaten 112, navigating difficult conditions and guiding India to 284/7 from a shaky 118/4. Though it didn’t result in victory, India would have posted far less without his composed contribution.
The Rajkot pitch appeared dry but had underlying movement, causing an unusual failure from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. After Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer also fell cheaply, Rahul absorbed pressure with discipline and smart shot selection. His century—his eighth in 93 ODIs—was a masterclass in timing the acceleration.
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate noted that better bowling could have changed the outcome but admitted the team lacked an extra spinner. He also acknowledged that Rahul’s role at No. 5 offers tactical flexibility, while saying the team still values using all-rounders higher up when necessary.
Rahul has been moved down the order in the past—Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja have often been preferred at No. 5. This worked in certain low-scoring tournaments like last year’s Champions Trophy, where India consistently defended totals under 300. But in the modern ODI landscape, where teams regularly aim for 350+ scores, a specialist batter at No. 5 carries far more weight than an all-rounder.
History supports Rahul’s consistency at this position: his match-winning 97 against Australia in the 2023 World Cup and his 66 in the final both came from No. 5, and they were India’s top scores in those games. This is where competitive pragmatism becomes essential—backing a specialist instead of chasing theoretical balance.
Ten Doeschate reiterated Rahul’s suitability for the role, praising his batting intelligence and adaptability. He emphasized that wicketkeeping workload isn’t a major concern in ODIs and confirmed that Rahul could be the long-term No. 5, freeing India to use all-rounders more strategically.
However, Rahul’s challenges haven’t been confined to the field. He has faced intense trolling and criticism, including from former players like Venkatesh Prasad. Yet, instead of being demoralized, Rahul has bounced back stronger. His ODI numbers since 2025 prove this resilience: he averages 52.42 with a strike rate above 107. His score pattern over the past year shows consistent contributions and very few failures.
New Zealand centurion Daryl Mitchell praised Rahul’s Rajkot knock, acknowledging how well he absorbed pressure and rebuilt India’s innings.
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