Vijay Hazare Trophy | I just wanted to enjoy my time in the middle, reveals KL Rahul after big hundred
KL Rahul once again announced himself on the big stage as he scored a dominating century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, stating his mindset was to bat for long to help his time out while enjoying it simultaneously. He further talked about the challenging conditions and what it took to get the runs.
KL Rahul announced his return to the domestic circuit with a bang after a scrumptious century had the spectators wanting more, while also earning his team a comfortable 60-run victory. His first outing in Karnataka colours in the ongoing one-day tournament hadn’t gone as planned after he had thrown away his wicket after getting a start, something that has become typical of him and probably played a big role in his axe form the Indian team.
However, this time around he was much careful with his shot selection, choosing to leave deliveries instead of playing them indecisively and showing glimpses of the old-school Rahul everyone had grown to admire. His 131 off 122 balls was laced with 10 fours and four hits past the boundary, tiring the opposition out with his beautiful plethora of shots before ultimately giving in in the 43rd over.
"Once I got set, wanted to make sure I carry on longer because we were only playing five specialist batsmen and three allrounders. My plan was to bat till 40-45 overs, and I wanted to stick to that. I just want to stay disciplined with my shot selection, get time in the middle and enjoy my batting again. I haven't been in the middle for a while, so just wanted to enjoy spending that time," he was quoted saying by ESPNCricinfo.
What made the innings more special was it came on a highly dangerous track for batsmen with the ball swinging and snipping all over the place. There was a bit of moisture on the pitch with evidently overcast conditions, not to mention bowlers of Sandeep Warrier’s quality that could bring the ball back into the batsmen while also making it straighten out. He had bowled two maidens and taken as many wickets in his first five overs, looking certain to trouble the stylish opener given his plight against balls that come in.
However, after an initial struggle, Rahul grew into the game, taking only 40 balls to his second half-century compared to 68 for the first, hitting two consecutive fours in his 90s which was a brilliant showcase of his confidence.
"Batting here in the first 10-15 overs in a day game is quite a challenge, it's like playing out the first session with the red ball," Rahul said. "I need to work on my game, so this [batting early on] is a good challenge. I have to stay a lot more disciplined and can't get ahead of the game. I don't think it's just a cakewalk to come and get runs here, you still have to work hard," Rahul concluded.
