Gautam Gambhir backs KL Rahul amidst comparisons with Rishabh Pant

India secured a crucial four-wicket victory over Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, booking their place in the final. The match, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, March 4, saw India chase down Australia’s target of 265 with relative comfort, thanks to a stellar performance by Virat Kohli. Kohli’s brilliant 84-run knock anchored the chase and played a pivotal role in taking India closer to the target. His calm and composed approach during the middle overs allowed India to stay on track, even as the pressure mounted.

While Kohli’s innings rightfully took the spotlight, it was KL Rahul’s crucial contribution that proved to be the final push India needed to seal the win. Coming in at a critical juncture, Rahul played a vital cameo, scoring an unbeaten 42 off 34 balls. His steady presence at the crease, alongside his quick running between the wickets, helped keep the required run rate in check. The Karnataka batter delivered the finishing blow, hitting Glenn Maxwell for a massive six over long-on, ensuring India’s victory with just a few balls to spare. Rahul’s composed and impactful knock played an essential role in India’s smooth progression to the final, where they will now look to clinch their third Champions Trophy title.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed his admiration for KL Rahul’s crucial knock in the semi-final against Australia, which played a significant role in India’s victory. Rahul’s composed 42* helped India secure their spot in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, and Gambhir was quick to acknowledge the value of his contribution. Ahead of the semi-final, there had been mounting criticism surrounding the team’s decision to select Rahul over Rishabh Pant, especially with Rahul being a part-time wicketkeeper. Pant had not featured in any of India’s matches in the tournament, which led to questions regarding his omission from the India playing XI. 

Gambhir, however, responded firmly to these concerns, citing Rahul’s superior batting statistics in One-Day Internationals. He pointed out that Rahul’s consistent form with the bat made him a natural choice for the crucial middle-order position. Gambhir's explanation highlighted that the team’s selection decisions were based on form and performance, rather than just player reputation. Rahul’s recent displays in the ODI format justified his place in the side, and Gambhir backed his selection despite the criticism surrounding Pant's exclusion.

"Rahul’s average in ODI cricket is 50 (sic 48.53). That’s the answer," replied India head coach Gautam Gambhir during the post-match press conference in Dubai.

"In a sport like cricket and in a team sport, numbers don't matter, batting positions don't matter, it's the impact that matters. You should only be thinking about protecting yourself in the playing level and rest whatever is needed of you to do it for the team, you should be happily doing it and KL Rahul has done that and KL has done that really happily and he has done that really well at No. 6 as well. People keep talking about it, I don't know for how long they have been talking about it, that why we pushed KL at number 6," Gambhir responded to another query on Rahul's position.