Being calm and composed, the success Mantra of KL Rahul

The Karnataka batsman who is considered by some as one of the most technically sound and stylish batsmen of the this generation had failed to deliver in the recently-concluded Test series against England except the 149-run innings in the last Test.

“The only way to be successful in international Cricket is to be mentally strong and relaxed but I think it comes with more time and experience and the more games you play, you get more experience; you realize how you can keep calm under pressure.” Rahul told scroll.in.

When asked about his final innings in England, he said, “I don’t think anything extraordinary happened in the final test. I was just very clear in my head. In the first two test matches, I was stuck in between whether to play my natural game or whether to respect the bowlers, and the conditions.Once I got used to the conditions, I realised I need to be true to my game and back my natural instincts.”

KL Rahul had the best score of only 36 runs in the series after the first four Tests against England. Many critics were calling for his replacement with young Prithvi Shaw but captain Kohli backed his opener.

“When we travel away the conditions are different it takes time for us to adapt. With not enough time to prepare, we straightaway start with playing the home teams which have better idea of the conditions. But he was quick to add that as professionals they can’t really complain”. He also lamented the high expectations fans have from them. He said “it is not easy to score a century for everyone or win every match,” he said.

When asked about the tour to Australia, he replied, “it is going to be a big challenge as well as an opportunity to showcase their skills. They would go out there and give it  their best shot and fight until the very end”. We are looking to play good cricket in the coming one or two months and carry that momentum into Australian series”.