The Indian cricketer, KL Rahul is aware of the fact that he has big shoes to fill in limited-overs cricket for the Indian team 7after the retirement of the former Indian skipper, MS Dhoni from international cricket. the India vice-captain is gearing up for fresh challenges as India resume international cricket in the much-anticipated series against Australia.
Dhoni announced retirement from international cricket on August 15 after having not featured for India for more than a year. The World Cup-winning Indian skipper was a crucial member of Virat Kohli and his men not just for his batting abilities but his experience from behind the wicket. Dhoni played a crucial role in helping young India spinners with his inputs and skipper, Kohli had a seasoned campaigner overseeing the proceedings from behind the stumps.
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Describing the same, KL Rahul said, “Look, obviously, nobody can fill the place of MS Dhoni. He has shown us the way and shown the wicketkeeper batsman’s role and how it should be done. We have learned a lot from MS Dhoni,” KL Rahul told the press on Wednesday. With players like Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal), Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja), and Kuldeep (Yadav) and the other spinners in the team, we have a decent friendship, decent understanding in the middle.”
He further added, “I will probably go and give them feedback as to what I feel can be a better length and better pace to bowl at. I can tell them if they are doing something wrong. Like I said, I have done this in one series in New Zealand, I quite enjoyed it. Hopefully, I can get better at reading the game and I can give the bowlers and the captain some good feedback from behind the stumps.”
KL Rahul has been in fine form for India in the limited-overs series in New Zealand earlier this year. The wicketkeeper-batsman won the Orange Cap at IPL 2020, 670 runs in 14 matches for KXIP. However, there were questions asked about his strike rate but Rahul reckons that he is not a power-hitter and that he is keen on helping the team with whatever role team management it wants him to play.
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Rahul explained, “I would not call my batting as power-hitting, it is not something that I am blessed with, I try to play the role I feel the team requires me to play at that moment. I have learnt to stay in the moment, that is something I have really worked on and as you grow older, you realise that you need to keep on getting better, I am blessed that I get to interact with the best players in the world, I am always looking to grow.”
India will be locking horns with Australia for a 3-match ODI series, starting Friday in Sydney. After the first couple of ODIs, the two teams will travel to Canberra for the series finale which will be followed by a 3-match T20I series and a 4-match Test series.
