Is KL Rahul best number five batter in ODI history?
What's the story
KL Rahul recently made history by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century against New Zealand. The landmark innings, which came in a losing cause, was recorded in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, where he scored an unbeaten 112 off just 92 balls. On this note, we dissect his stellar numbers while batting at five in the ODI format.
Stats
Second-best average in the position
Rahul has now played 33 innings at number five in ODI cricket. He has scored 1,477 runs at this position at a remarkable average of 64.21, as per ESPNcricinfo. Among batters with at least 1,000 runs at the position, only South African legend AB de Villiers owns a higher average than Rahul (77.96). No other batter has an average of even 52 in this regard. The one in Rajkot was Rahul's third ODI hundred at number five.
Strike rate
A strike rate of 99.59
Rahul has not just been consistent but also aggressive at number five. A strike rate of 99.59 is the testament of the same. He is one of just the four batters with 1,000-plus runs at this position at an average of 45-plus and a strike rate of 95-plus. The other members on this elite list are all South Africans - de Villiers, David Miller, and Heinrich Klaasen.
Scores
13 scores of 50-plus at the position
Overall, Rahul has a total of 13 50-plus scores at the number five position in ODIs. He has not scored more tons, runs, or fifties at any other position in the format. It must be noted that Rahul started his ODI career as a top-order batter. He was shifted to number five despite averaging 47.78 as an opener. This speaks volumes about his versatility.
Career
Here are his overall ODI stats
Rahul is currently one of the most dependable batters in ODI cricket. He has been bolstering India's middle order. In 93 ODIs, the Indian batter has racked up 3,359 runs at an average of 51.67. The keeper-batter owns 469 runs from 10 innings at a remarkable average of 93.80 against New Zealand in ODI cricket. His strike rate against this opposition reads 111.13.