Former India captain and former India head coach Ravi Shastri claimed that the added responsibility of leading the side is bringing the best out of Rahul and either he or Buttler will end up winning the Orange Cap by the end of TATA IPL 2022.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Shastri said, “He’s got a solid all-round game, the technique is good he’s got all the shots, great temperament, and good presence of mind. With the responsibility of leading a new franchise is getting the best out of him. You asked me at the start of the season, Orange Cap, I said KL Rahul because the openers have the best chance. So, it will be between him and (Jos) Buttler. If you are an opening batsman who’s firing then your franchise is going to do well in the TATA IPL because those are not the players at the back who come and do the damage. If you get an opener who’s firing then it’s half the job done already.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rahul for the way he paced his innings against Mumbai Indians when the Karnataka cricketer slammed a sensational century.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “It is fabulous to see the way he’s paced his innings (against Mumbai Indians). How he increased his tempo, how he went from one gear to second gear to third gear and towards the end (of the innings) he was into the fifth gear was fabulous.”