KL Rahul Quietly Emerges as India’s New ODI Finisher, Echoing MS Dhoni’s Calm in Chases

For years, India’s ODI chases revolved around one reassuring thought: if MS Dhoni was still batting, the game was under control. His greatness as a finisher was not defined by brute force or explosive strike rates, but by his unmatched ability to absorb pressure, minimise risk and stay till the end. Since his exit, India have searched for that same stabilising presence — not the legend, but the skillset.

KL Rahul’s recent ODI record suggests that India may have found the closest modern equivalent to that role. While comparisons with Dhoni are inevitably fraught, the numbers and patterns in Rahul’s chase performances point to a similar philosophy: reduce chaos, manage risk, and finish games without drama.

Dhoni’s benchmark in ODI chases was built on longevity and survival. In 75 successful run chases, he remained unbeaten 47 times, averaging an extraordinary 102.71. The key was not speed but control — he stayed till the end in nearly two-thirds of those innings, ensuring India rarely collapsed late. His finishing was about probability management rather than spectacle.

Rahul’s sample size is smaller, but the underlying logic is strikingly similar. In winning ODI chases, he has played 25 innings, remained not out 13 times, and scored over 1,000 runs at an average of 83.33. He finishes unbeaten in more than half of those innings, a clear marker of a specialist closer. His strike rate, slightly lower than Dhoni’s in this context, reinforces the point that Rahul is not merely a late-overs hitter but a stabiliser who transitions into the finishing role.

Rather than overpowering attacks from ball one, Rahul often anchors the chase, absorbs pressure, and then closes the game at the right moment. As India experimented with various finishing options — from power hitters to all-rounders — Rahul has quietly redefined the role by doing what Dhoni did best: staying there when it matters most.