The flamboyant Indian batsman KL Rahul enjoyed a purple patch during the recently concluded season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) while playing for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) as he amassed 659 runs at an average of 54.91 in 14 matches. He was the third-highest scorer in the tournament and he also scored the fastest half-century in the tournament’s history. He feels that the IPL experience had given him a lot of confidence ahead of the packed schedule of the Indian cricket team.
Talking about his recent performances, Rahul said, “Whatever cricket I played for India in the last 2-3 years, I used that experience in this IPL and played with a clear mind. That’s what I did in IPL. My focus was that I should be the person to finish the game for the team. As a player, you want to face such kind of situations where you are able to finish the task for the team. And such situations can even come in a World Cup semi-final or final. So, this IPL taught me a lot and helped my game mentally as well.”
The Karnataka lad made his international debut for India in 2014 during the Test series against Australia, has so far played 23 Tests apart from 10 ODIs and 15 T-20s. While injuries have become a stopping stone form him, Rahul’s IPL performance has once again put the spotlight on him. Rahul had averaged 28.66 and 7.50 in the last two Test series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, respectively, and he feels that the England tour as one of the challenges before next year’s ODI World Cup in England.
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Revealing his world cup dream, Rahul said, “Obviously playing in the World Cup is a dream but it is still a year away. A lot can happen in one year. I just want to take it one game at a time and whatever opportunities I get in whichever format. I have never played in England before and I have only watched the past matches on TV. We will be playing the T-20 and ODI series before the Test series and it will help us acclimatize to the conditions first. If I can hit a century at Lord’s, it will be a moment to remember for me.”
The opener also termed Afghanistan’s maiden Test match against India as an important one and termed it as a good opportunity ahead of the England tour. He said, “Afghanistan is a very good team and they will be a big name in international cricket in the next 10-12 years. I played along with 17-year-old old spinner Mujeeb Zadran for Kings XI Punjab and the way he handled the pressure and bowled during the tournament speaks about his talent. Same goes for Rashid Khan, who was exceptional for Sunrisers Hyderabad.”
