'His instinct is equal to MS Dhoni' - Sanjay Manjrekar's big verdict on India star following 2-1 series win over South Africa

KL Rahul became the only second Indian captain after Virat Kohli to win an ODI series in South Africa. In the absence of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, the wicketkeeper batter was given the leadership role and he guided the team to a 2-1 series win. With a massive 78-run victory, the Men in Blue defeated the hosts in the series decider at Boland Park, Paarl on Thursday. 

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India fielded a relatively young side for the white-ball tour as senior players were rested after the World Cup. Rahul has done well with the bat and has been impressive as a leader in the three-match series. Alaysisng the 31-year-old's leadership, Analysing the 31-year-old's leadership, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opined that he is an expert when it comes to taking DRS calls. Manjrekar heaped praise on the Lucknow Super Giants skipper, saying his instinct is equal to legendary captain MS Dhoni. 

“These days, when you see KL Rahul on the ground, he looks very relaxed and in a good mind space. He captained as expected. He looks comfortable in the leadership role. He has led a lot in the IPL, in a Test match in South Africa and in one-day matches as well. You can expect KL Rahul not to make any big mistake. He is an expert in DRS. His instinct is equal to MS Dhoni,” he said. 

The third and final ODI witnessed two brilliant DRS calls from Rahul, which helped India dismiss the dangerous Tony de Zorzi (81 off 87 balls) and Wiaan Mulder.

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Indian cricket is running on autopilot: Manjrekar 

Although India lost the ODI World Cup, Rohit Sharma led the team tremendously till the final. In Hardik's absence, Suryakumar Yadav captained the side in the T20 format and helped India beat Australia and level the series against South Africa. In light of this, Manjrekar feels that Indian Cricket is running on autopilot and credited players for the team's success. 

“It seems like Indian cricket is running on autopilot. Suryakumar Yadav won as captain recently, KL Rahul now. Rohit Sharma has also won a lot of games for India. A lot of credit for the success must go to the players. Captaincy is good, but not game-changing. It’s the players who are doing really well,” he stated.