Why is Rehan Ahmed Opening the Batting in SL vs ENG 3rd ODI?

Sri Lanka and England are playing the third and final ODI of the three-match series at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Tuesday, January 27. The series is currently levelled at 1-1, which means that the third ODI becomes the series decider.

England captain Harry Brook won the toss and opted to bat first. However, fans were surprised to see Ben Duckett's opening partner in the must-win game as all-rounder Rehan Ahmed came to open the innings, who usually bats in the lower middle-order.

Why is Rehan Ahmed Opening the Batting Today?

Rehan Ahmed came out to bat at the top alongside the regular opener Ben Duckett in the SL vs ENG 3rd ODI match. The decision came in a big surprise as Rehan is a legbreak bowler who can also be useful with the bat. The reason why Ahmed opened the batting is due Zak Crawley's injury. The lanky opener missed out on the second ODI as well.

Crawley was replaced by Will Jacks in the playing 11. Despite having a player like Jos Buttler, who is among the best batsmen in the world, in the team, the England team management decided to go with Rehan as the opening batter.

However, England's experiment of sending Ahmed to open the innings didn't go down well. He played some magnificent shots in the 3rd ODI, scoring 24 runs, which included three fours but couldn't carry on to play long. It would be interesting to see Rehan Ahmed batting position once Crawley recovers before the team's next ODI series.

Rehan Ahmed's International Career

England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed is primarily a leg-spin bowler who can also bat down the lower order. Due to his skills, he is considered to be a player who can become the best all-rounder in the world in future.

He has featured in eight ODI matches so far and managed to score only 75 runs at an average of 12.50. However, he's been more effective with the ball, picking up 12 wickets, with the best figures of 4/54.

The right-hander has also played five Test matches, scoring 103 runs at an average of 10.30. But, he has shown his prowess with the ball in the longest format, picking up 22 wickets with the best figures of 5/48.

Rehan's next assignment will be the T20 World Cup 2026, where he has been picked as a back-up for Adil Rashid in England's squad. With the match being played in the subcontinent, his skills can be useful for England as they aim to win their third T20 WC title.