‘Players like KL Rahul are transformers of the game’ : Salman Butt

Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt has lavished praise on India opener KL Rahul, who scored his seventh Test century during the first Test against South Africa in Centurion. The batter has been in staggering form across formats this year.

There was never a doubt about his ability in limited-overs cricket but consistent failures in the longer format raised questions over his skills in red-ball cricket. However, in the last year or so, Rahul has revamped his technique and has reaped dividends for the same.

Earlier, on the England tour, Rahul showed great skills and played a pivotal role in India taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. He along with Rohit Sharma consistently gave India solid starts, paving way for a good total.

The major flaw in Rahul’s batting over the years was poking at deliveries outside the off stump, which brought his downfall on many occasions. However, the batter has worked on the flaw and looked very solid against deliveries around the off pole.

Butt heaped praise on Rahul and said his ability to adapt to different formats of the game makes him ‘transformer of the game’.

“If you look at the so-called modern cricket, there are players who are specialists in white-ball cricket and while some are in Test cricket. But players like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam and Joe Root, they defy these arguments with their performances across format,” Butt said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

“The way they shift their gear from one format to another, the way they mould themselves according to the need of team, it’s completely outstanding. These players are transformers of the game,” the former opening batter added.

Rahul’s solid ton has helped India reach a commanding position in the first Test. The team sits comfortably at 272-3 at Stumps on Day 1. There was no play possible on Day 2 due to rain. The team will be keen on adding a few more runs before asking South Africa to bat.