{
  "id": 11702561,
  "title": "Averages 68.58 at 5, four hundreds, best strike rate after AB: KL Rahul is India’s Mr Indispensable",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/averages-68-58-at-5-four-hundreds-best-strike-rate-after-ab-kl-rahul",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T14:10:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/kl-rahul-india-middle-order-mr-indispensable-west-indies-odi-10905461/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KL Rahul joined the Indian cricket team for the final ODI against West Indies with 25 overs left in the series. Having played in an expendable middle-order batting position for his third white-ball innings, Rahul faced scrutiny following a poor start to the England tour. A scuppered opening knock of 1 and a brush with an \"illness\" led to his exclusion from the second match, with Ishan Kishan stepping in. Rahul's return at Lord's for the series-decider saw Kishan retain his gloves. Rahul's stellar form, including a T20 World Cup and domestic league triumph, and a century in his ODI comeback against Afghanistan, have put him in the spotlight. Over the last two seasons, Rahul has been seen as a potential floating role between numbers 5 and 7, taking on the mantle of a left-handed batter due to a dearth of left-handers in India's top six. On Saturday, Rahul put aside the recent concerns surrounding his position by hitting a career-best unbeaten 129 off 87 balls, breaking several milestones. Despite the slowing pace of the maturing ball, Rahul showcased his white-ball skills, shattering the white-ball rust to become India's highest run-scorer at number five. His performance this Saturday suggests that his middle-order batting skills are nearing their peak, making him a strong contender for a stable wicket-keeping position at number five for India.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "KL Rahul returns to Indian team after ODI exclusion",
    "Rahul scores career-best 129 off 87 balls in ODI",
    "Rahul becomes India's top run-scorer at number five"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "KL Rahul scores his ninth ODI century, takes India to strong score despite shaky start",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/kl-rahul-scores-his-ninth-odi-century-takes-india-to-strong-score",
        "published": "2026-10-03T12:38:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}