With the ODI series already secured after victories in the first two matches against Afghanistan, India have used the opportunity to test different combinations and assess players outside their established core group.The absence of senior figures Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah has allowed the team management to experiment, particularly in the batting order. Both Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill were given opportunities at No. 3, a position usually occupied by Kohli, and the pair responded with promising performances.However, one tactical decision has continued to spark debate. KL Rahul, despite being one of India’s most experienced top-order batters, has once again been deployed in a finishing role lower down the order. While Rahul delivered a quickfire unbeaten 39 off 19 balls in the opening ODI chase, he was dismissed without scoring in the second match at Lucknow.Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes Rahul’s talents are not being fully utilised in the No. 6 position and feels the wicketkeeper-batter should be entrusted with greater responsibility higher up the order.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said, “It is not good for KL Rahul and the team if he is batting at six. In my opinion, he must bat at four or five max. I think they can go by rotation policy. Rest the certainties in some games, give chances, and then pick the side.”The former opener also supported a rotation strategy in the remaining games, arguing that India should use the series to evaluate squad depth and identify their strongest combination ahead of future tournaments.Srikkanth additionally raised concerns about the scheduling of the Afghanistan series, questioning whether players had been given enough time to recover after an intense run of cricket. With the IPL and Men’s T20 World Cup having concluded recently, and the Women’s T20 World Cup currently underway, he felt the timing of the ODI series was far from ideal.“Afghanistan is not a great team really. It is sad. Now they are going to play in Chennai where it will be very hot. I don’t know how they will play there. It is not fair. I don’t think they should be playing in June. The T20 World Cup and IPL just got over. Give them a break and the Women’s T20 World Cup is going on, why don’t we focus on that? There should be a one month break after the IPL to be honest. There is no family time, no holiday, and most importantly no mental break,” he stated.India will now head into the final ODI with the series already in the bag, while discussions over Rahul’s batting position and player workload continue to remain key talking points.
