Among the most memorable and stressful days of his career was star Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul’s 2014 debut Test match. On a crucial day, however, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma—wife of teammate Virat Kohli—aided the rookie in feeling more at ease.
Rahul debuted for India in a Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne in 2014–15. Rahul’s performance was poor; in his two innings, he scored just three and one, even though the game ended in a draw. This mishap might have dealt the young cricket player a serious blow to his self-esteem. However, his remarks from a chat show with Renil Abraham six years ago, in which he described how Anushka Sharma intervened to cheer him up, are making a comeback.
“I have a wonderful story to share with you, and both Anushka and Virat have been really kind to me. Anushka attended the Melbourne match as a spectator. She could tell that I was feeling low and depressed about my own performance, and my mind was racing. Rahul remarked, “Anushka came to my room and told me that she and Virat were going to take me out and that she wouldn’t let me sit alone and think about cricket.”
That was a kind gesture from Anushka: KL Rahul
KL Rahul became an unusual third wheel on one of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s dinner outings as a result of this gesture. Rahul was made aware that he was not the only one experiencing setbacks when the power couple opened up about their own failures during these outings. Virat and Anushka continued to be there for each other over the week-long break leading up to the second Test match. They had a significant impact on Rahul as a pair as well as as individuals.
On a dinner date, I gave a poor impression of myself. Anushka and Virat both related personal tales of times when they had faced professional setbacks. That gave me the idea that I wasn’t the only one to spoil his impression. They always brought me out with them, and we had a week off before the following game. He continued, “They are a strong couple and have greatly influenced me as a couple.”
“I didn’t know how Anushka could comprehend what I was going through, so it was kind of her to do that. Even though Anushka’s communications are primarily about my dog, we still communicate and send each other occasional notes,” Rahul said.
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Rahul recovered magnificently in the next Test match in Sydney, where he scored an incredible 110 in the opening innings. Since then, he has played 50 Tests for India and amassed 2,863 runs, making it one of his most successful Test careers.