IPL 2020 | KL Rahul understands Kings XI Punjab better than me, asserts Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble has stated that KL Rahul understands Kings XI Punjab better than him and it is only natural that the Karnataka batsman will deliver well in the 2020 IPL. The former Indian spinner has also added that Rahul will keep wickets for the Punjab-based franchise in the league.
In the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League, KL Rahul has been an absolute beast for the Kings XI Punjab franchise - scoring 593 runs in 2019 and 659 in the 2018 season - and is one of the tallest run-scorers in the world at the moment. The runs have duly resulted in Rahul taking over the captaincy mettle this year, which he will do under the stewardship of Anil Kumble, who he knows since he was a cricketer growing up in Bangalore.
Kumble feels that understanding would come good this season but the former Indian captain banks on Rahul to take calls most of the time because of his familiarity with the team in the last two years.
“I think K. L. will obviously take up 'keeping and then, we will take it from there,” former India captain and Kings XI head coach Anil Kumble told Sportstar on Tuesday.
“It was very important to choose the captain [for the season]. I have known K. L., seen him as a young kid growing up in Bengaluru, and as a cricketer. It’s his first season as skipper but he knows the team better than me. He has played here for two seasons. I think we have all the ingredients to build a solid team,” he said.
The upcoming season of the Indian Premier League starts on September 19 in UAE, with the fixtures yet to be announced by the BCCI.