IND vs NZ | Enjoy staying behind the stumps, asserts KL Rahul

IND vs NZ | Enjoy staying behind the stumps, asserts KL Rahul

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After hitting a match-winning fifty in Auckland, KL Rahul has stated that he is enjoying being put behind the stumps and thanked his familiarity in the IPL and domestic cricket for the same. The opener also added that sticking to his own strength of playing proper shots helped him big time.

After finding him in the middle of a mental mess, where his failure to understand his own game brought about a huge fall from grace, Rahul made a fine comeback step by step, almost coming to the point of being recognised as the best T20 player of the current time. If that was not enough, he stood up and delivered big-time as a keeper, when entrusted with the responsibility - something that he had never done for the national team until Rishabh Pant took a blow on his head during the first ODI against Australia in Mumbai.

In the T20Is too, India persisted with him despite the presence of two keepers in the squad - Pant and Sanju Samson - and he repaid the trust with  fine batting and keeping displays at the Eden Park in Auckland. On being asked about his experience as a keeper so far, Rahul expressed that he enjoys the responsibility.

“I am quite honestly loving to keep now. At the international stage, it might seem very new, might seem I have never kept but I have done this role for IPL franchise in the last three-four years and have kept for my first-class team. I enjoy staying behind the stumps. It gives me a great idea of how the pitch is playing then I can pass on the message to the captain about what fieldset is better, can tell the bowlers what length is better. As a keeper, you need to be proactive. I am enjoying the responsibility,” Rahul said in the post-match press conference.

In late 2018, Rahul found himself in a difficult situation, with his mental demons coming out to the fore. However, he turned his fortunes around in 2019 and carried the momentum beautifully to 2020 to become an important cog in India’s wheel.

“I felt like I wasn’t getting enough game time. I have been a part of the Indian team for a long time but when I was sitting on the bench and suddenly got into the team for a couple of matches, I wasn’t feeling the same. I needed a few more matches to get my confidence back. Played some first-class matches, less pressure and I could focus on my cricket and skill. It worked well for me and it helps that I got some runs there as well. Touchwood, I am continuing the same thing.”

In the day and age of slam-bang cricket, Rahul plays proper cricketing shots and scores run without compromising with his run-scoring ability at a brisk pace. Rahul stated that those shots give him the confidence to do better.

“Honestly, in the last one and half years, I understood that I should play proper cricketing shots. Coming to the proper position and playing cricketing shots is my forte. The more I believe in that, it will help me more,” Rahul added.

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