'KL Rahul struggles to read the pace' - Irfan Pathan analyses key matchups ahead of DC vs GT clash

Irfan Pathan stated the contest between KL Rahul and Rashid Khan in the Delhi Capitals' upcoming clash against the Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, April 8, will be fascinating to watch. This game will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The former India all-rounder opined that Rashid has an edge over Rahul as he has dismissed him thrice in eight innings. Pathan said that Rahul struggles to read the pace and likes to bat conservatively when he is facing the Afghanistan spinner.

“In eight innings, Rashid has dismissed him (KL Rahul) three times, so the edge is with him. KL Rahul struggles to read the pace, and his strike rate is not very high against Rashid. Many times, he also plays cautiously. It seems he manages his innings carefully to protect his wicket and build the partnership," Pathan said while speaking in a video on his YouTube channel.

Pathan also mentioned that if Gujarat bring Sai Kishore into the XI, he could have a good matchup, not just with KL Rahul but also with his opening partner Pathum Nissanka, who was dismissed by another left-arm spinner, Mitchell Santner, in the last game.

“But can Gujarat use Sai Kishore? If Sai Kishore, a left-arm spinner, comes early against KL Rahul, it could be a very good matchup. This is very important. Even Pathum Nissanka, who batted well in previous matches, can have a good matchup against Sai Kishore because Santner had dismissed Nissanka," Pathan stated.

Sai Kishore looks like a very good bowler to me: Pathan

Pathan went on to praise Kishore, saying that the Tamil Nadu spinner has great control and can restrict the batters inside the power play with some tight bowling.

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“Sai Kishore looks like a very good bowler to me. He bowls with great control, and in the powerplay, on Delhi’s pitch, if you can bowl a good over, you can restrict the batter. On this black soil pitch, you cannot pitch too far forward; a slightly pulled-back delivery keeps the game in control. Sai Kishore is tall, has a great action, and can both pause and bowl slightly pulled-back deliveries, so this could be a very effective matchup.”