'Nice, cold shower, a good meal' – Rahul relishing middle-order role in India's ODI setup

Rahul has been an opener by nature, performing the role in the Indian Test and T20I teams. But his job has varied in the Indian ODI setup. Rahul has been tasked with batting at No.5 in the ODI side, playing the role of a finisher.

Rahul played a vital role with the bat in the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Kolkata, helping steer India's chase of 216 after a tricky start. India lost early wickets but Rahul stitched together a partnership with Hardik Pandya, which eventually helped them claim a four-wicket win and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Rahul remained unbeaten on 64.

With the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup set to be played in India, Rahul will hope to continue to excel in this role – a challenge he is relishing.

"Batting at No. 5 has just helped me understand my game a little bit better," Rahuld told Star Sports. "Given the ball is slightly older, you have to play spin straightaway and that's not what I am used to usually.

"Obviously, Rohit [Sharma, the captain] is very clear that that's where he wants me to bat and he's conveyed that to me. So now I am challenging myself to get used to this position."

Rahul elaborated on the differences between opening and playing in the middle order. "One thing I really enjoy is that you don't have to rush back into batting," he said. "You get time to put your feet up, have a nice cold shower, have a good meal and then relax and then see what's happening before walking in. That's the good thing about batting at No. 5."

Rahul though is aware of the competition in the Indian batting department, especially in the wicketkeeper-batter role.

Rishabh Pant is expected to be back in the scheme of things later this year after his recovery from his accident while Ishan Kishan has also staked his claim with a double century during the series against Bangladesh. Sanju Samson, though on the fringes, has an excellent record in ODI cricket.

"Firstly, I want to be in the playing XI, that's the most important thing," said Rahul. "What the team requires me to do, I try to do that. I've done that throughout the time I played for India."

India will face against Sri Lanka in the final ODI of the series on Sunday, January 15, in Thiruvananthapuram.