In-form Indian batsman KL Rahul has revealed that he was not in peace before completing his brilliant century against England at Manchester on Tuesday (July 3).
KL Rahul
During the first T20I of three-match T20I series between the hosts England and India at Manchester, KL Rahul smashed a brilliant century to chasing the 160-run target. The right-handed batsman was not out on 101 runs as India comfortably chased that target in 18.2 overs after losing just two wickets.
Despite Rahul is one of the most in-form cricketers in the world, he was unhappy for a long time and that was due to his continuous failing to score a century.
After playing a 199-run innings against England at Chennai Test on December 16, 2016, it was his first century. Despite providing brilliant performances in almost every cricket formats, Rahul was century-less for 564 days and he remarked it as frustrating. Even, he was unsure whether he was in-form or out-of-form.
Talking about that frustrating period, Rahul said prior to the second T20I, “Trust me I know (it had been 564 days). Quite honestly I didn’t know what to make of it, whether I was in form or out of form. I kept getting the fifties and was getting out. I was batting well, but somehow I couldn’t get to the three-figure mark so it was quite frustrating. Being in and out of the team, injuries, and sickness, it all was playing on my mind and kept frustrating me even more.
KL Rahul celebrated his century with a dab
“I realized somewhere down the line that it is still better than getting out on single-figure mark and stopped worrying about the three figures. I wanted it really bad and am very happy that it came here in England, in the first game of the series and hopefully I can carry that confidence forward and use the form and make it big.”
Rahul, who was in the lethal form during the IPL 2018 as an opening batsman, came to bat at no.3 during the Manchester T20I. While Rahul feels most comfortable to bat at the opening position, Shikhar Dhawan’s early dismissal gave him the feel of opening batsman despite coming to bat at the no.3 position.
The 26-year-old said, “That’s where I would love to bat and I have always batted at the top of the order. Numbers one and two are what I am most comfortable in. Shikhar (Dhawan) got out early and it still felt like I was opening the batting. It gives me a chance to get my in and even use the powerplay. Whatever chances I get I should make the most of it and I am very happy that I got to bat up the order.
However, Rahul also revealed that the team management has made it clear that the players need to be flexible according to the situation as they are preparing for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Rahul said on that, “It has been made clear that there will be few changes in the team and as a batting unit we need to flexible in our heads to be able to perform any role or responsibility that has been given to us. We are all working towards it. We might want to promote MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya if we get a good start, to go and get us a few sixes or get the run-rate up. So we will be flexible keeping in mind the World Cup.”
Rahul scored 659 runs in the IPL 2018 with the average of 54.91 and the strike-rate of 158.41. The third most runs scorer in IPL 2018 is carrying his brilliant batting form in the international cricket too and he is happy with his performance.
Rahul said, “I am very happy that my performance in the last 3-4 months and have kept improving with each game. It started in the IPL where I got to bat at the top of the order. I hadn’t played a lot of international games before that, so there was a lot of passion, and I wanted to be out there in the middle and make the best use of the opportunities.
KL Rahul
“It’s just that, I don’t think I’ve changed much technically and obviously being away from the game and not playing much, gives me time to train and gives me time to work a lot on my fitness. I’ve been working really hard on my fitness. That’s about it.”
Rahul lauded the Indian wrist-spinners duo, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who are doing really well in the recent international cricket and that too outside the Asian soil. In Manchester T20I, Kuldeep Yadav won the Player of the Match award after an impressive bowling performance of 4-0-24-5 that made scramble the England innings despite having a good start.
Rahul feels both are going to be dangerous throughout the series as he said, “I don’t think it is just England. A good wrist spinner is a good wrist spinner against any opposition. And with the kind of skill and quality that Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal have, it’s always going to be hard for a team that doesn’t play spin a lot.
“What Kuldeep did was special as getting a five-for in a T20 game isn’t easy. You can be bowling well but most times he could get away for 2 or 3 wickets and gone for 30 runs. But he kept at it. The way Chahal and Kuldeep are bowling, they’re going to be dangerous throughout the series.”
