Former India chairman of selectors MSK Prasad showed confidence in newly appointed head coach Justin Langer to bring the best out of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul in the upcoming IPL season. However, Langer replaced Andy Flower as head coach after the latter’s two-year contract came to an end. Since its inception in 2022, LSG has qualified for the playoffs in both seasons but couldn’t reach the final.
Before the 2024 IPL season, MSK Prasad addressed the media in a press conference organized by Star Sports and said: “What is going to be the biggest gaining factor is how he (Langer) is going to mould KL Rahul. Or, in fact, they have been in touch with each other for the last 3 months, talking on a day-to-day basis. KL Rahul has also been a vice-captain of India, has also led the Indian team, but at times he holds himself back a bit. So, probably, with Justin Langer coming into the LSG side, we’ll see a different KL Rahul in the upcoming season.”
“Hopefully even Team India is going to benefit. He is definitely a very good wicket-keeper. As we have seen suddenly, 6-7 months after the injury, he comes into the World Cup and the impact he created there with the bat and gloves speaks volumes about him. KL Rahul is an introvert sort of person. He doesn’t really express himself outside, but I hope Langer’s influence will get the best out of him. Hopefully, we will unearth a new captain in KL Rahul for the future,” further added Prasad.
However, he suffered a hamstring injury midway in the IPL 2023 and missed the rest of the tournament after playing only nine matches as well. He also missed the final four Tests of the recently-concluded England series due to a quadriceps injury but is expected to begin the 2024 IPL season.
“You’re talking about KL Rahul being calm. I think you can’t get a calmer person than Justin Langer. Can you believe he does close to 3 hours of meditation every day and if you are on your own with that person, you feel that kind of calmness, you feel that kind of serenity? Whatever has been portrayed about him is different from the person that he is. We got in touch with each other for the last 3-4 months, so he’s a different person. But he knows how to control his emotions,” concluded MSK Prasad.
