In an exclusive interview with Star Sports, KL Rahul, the dynamic Indian batsman, shared his insights on his remarkable return to international cricket. Rahul, who marked his comeback with a splendid century during the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage clash against Pakistan, discussed various aspects of his performance and partnership with Virat Kohli.
Reflecting on his return to international cricket, Rahul acknowledged the initial nervousness he experienced. He highlighted that despite playing a couple of practice games, the intensity of international matches is unmatched. He stated, “Obviously, this is my first international match after a long time. I played a couple of practice games, but we all know the intensity is not the same. So when I walked in, I had that initial nervousness. It took me 10-15 balls to just calm myself down and get my feet moving, get my mind thinking of the right things.”
ALSO READ: Kuldeep Yadav Reveals He Will Remember His 5-fer Against Pakistan
KL Rahul continued to describe how he regained his composure and focus after a few boundaries. However, the unpredictability of the weather played a significant role in the match. Rain interruptions forced Rahul to adapt to changing conditions.
He mentioned, “Then, when I hit one or two boundaries, all those things, the fogginess in your clarity, went away, and it became like before. I was looking at the ball, looking at the situation, and you see what you have to do. But just when I got my rhythm, it started raining. Unfortunately, it started raining, and I had to wait for a whole day. Today we came back and had to wait for the innings to start. So I had to restart the innings again.”
Regarding his partnership with Virat Kohli, who also reached a century milestone during their unbeaten stand, Rahul praised the Former Indian skipper’s phenomenal achievements and their compatibility on the field. Rahul noted, “He has hit 13,000 runs. I can’t say anything about that man; he is just phenomenal. Words are short to describe what a great cricketer he is, and I’ve always felt comfortable playing with him in the middle.”
KL Rahul emphasized their effective communication and running between the wickets, saying, “We run really hard. It’s not that he runs hard only for himself; he runs his partner’s runs as well really hard, and there’s good communication between us. We both really like being in those situations; we’ve been there before.”
ALSO READ: KL Rahul Reveals Rahul Dravid’s Last-Minute Call For Pakistan Clash
The batsman also highlighted the mutual understanding they share on the field, which allows each of them to play to their strengths. Rahul concluded, “So we were just reminding ourselves that we have to play proper cricket shots and play to our strengths.”
KL Rahul’s magnificent century and his partnership with Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in India’s resounding victory against Pakistan, showcasing their prowess on the cricketing stage.
