Former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh defended veteran wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul after the side's series-deciding 27-run loss in the third ODI against England at Lord's on July 19. Chasing 388 for victory, the Men in Blue kept up with the asking rate until the final 10 overs, after which the match slipped away.

Rahul walked into bat at No.6 with India requiring 84 off the final six overs. However, two glorious boundaries, he fell to Jofra Archer for an 8-ball 12 to effectively seal India's fate.

Team India eventually lost by 27 runs, suffering a 1-2 defeat in the ODI series to England.

Following the contest, a user on X questioned whether Rahul would receive the same treatment as Rohit Sharma, referring to the latter's recent speculation.

In response, Dodda Ganesh defended KL Rahul, through his X handle, saying:

Despite his excellent overall ODI record, Rahul batted at No.6 in the first and third ODIs of the series, while missing the second ODI due to illness. The right-hander found the going tough, scoring only a combined 13 runs at an average of 6.50.

Dodda Ganesh further slammed the Indian team management for wasting KL Rahul down the order after the England ODI series. The 34-year-old boasts incredible ODI numbers with 3,412 runs at an average of 49.44 and a strike rate of over 91 in 98 outings.

Rahul also boasts phenomenal ODI numbers at No.5, averaging over 63 at a strike rate of 100.59 in 35 innings.

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