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