Would give the credit to ABD and Kohli for Rahul's transformation, reveals Samuel Jayaraj
KL Rahul's childhood coach Samuel Jayaraj has revealed that his ward's discussion with AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli has helped him become a more consistent player. Jayaraj has also added that Rahul has always been a natural wicket-keeper and the responsibility comes as a blessing in disguise.
The current darling of masses, KL Rahul's evolution as a white-ball player is the story of the last few months. Not only has the Karnataka swashbuckler made sure he has adapted himself to the team's needs, but he has also made sure that the run-scoring temperament of his has hardly taken a nosedive. After piling runs in the T20I series, Rahul hit his fourth ODI ton in the last game at the Bay Oval, highlighting the purple patch that he is in. While the entire country celebrated his run-scoring spree, the man who is the happiest is his childhood coach Samuel Jayaraj.
“He (KL Rahul) spoke with a number of cricketers. He spoke with AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Virat spoke with him and motivated him. Apart from ABD and Virat, some more former cricketers spoke with him. But I would give the credit to ABD and Virat. ABD understands him better because he is also a wicketkeeper-batsman, Jayaraj told Times of India.
"Virat showed confidence in him. Virat knew how talented Rahul is. Watch KL’s stance closely, it is very very balanced. He looks calm before the ball reaches him. That’s one of the changes he has brought into his game."
The cherry on the top being Rahul has become India's consistent wicket-keeper across the limited-overs format after Rishabh Pant's regular underperformance in the white-ball cricket. While many feared it would take a toll on his workload management, Jayaraj said that Rahul is a natural wicket-keeper for a long time.
“He was always a wicket-keeper. Wicketkeeping for India has come as a blessing in disguise for him. As a wicketkeeper you have to keep vigil on all 300 deliveries behind the wickets. Wicketkeeping has helped him in his batting. When he was a kid, I used to ask him to keep the wickets. Wicketkeeping helps you with concentration. You only watch the ball and then move your hands and feet accordingly. That’s how Rahul has become a good batsman," the coach said.