K.L. Rahul Is Kept “On His Toes” Due To His Dual Role In One-Day Internationals

KL In one-day internationals, Rahul is had to put in additional effort because he also keeps wickets and bats, but he is unfazed by this challenge because his top priority is to be included in the playing eleven.

The 30-year-old, who is a regular opener for India in Test matches, is now not only wearing the wicket keeping gloves in the absence of injured Rishabh Pant but has also been pushed to No. 5 in the batting order with Shubman Gill taking the opening slot in the batting order. Rahul stated that the team is aware of the role that they want him to play.

“It’s pretty obvious that I’ve been doing this for a few years now. From the end of 2019, throughout 2020 and a few games in 2021.

“It’s not anything that’s brand new,” he stated in the media engagement that took place after he led India to a victory against Sri Lanka in the second one-day international that took place here.

“The team has given me the opportunity to adjust to this position and responsibility over the course of some time. When you know that your team’s captain and coach have your back, it’s much easier to concentrate and give the team your whole, undivided attention, which is exactly what they’re hoping for.

“Yes, it’s different from what I do in other formats, which keeps me on my toes and keeps me challenged — a different role helps me understand my game better,” she said. “It keeps me on my feet and keeps me engaged.” Rahul is having to work harder on his fitness for the increased responsibility.

“When it comes to batting in the middle of the order, I have to approach things a little bit differently. Due to the fact that I have not been playing white ball cricket for an excessively long period of time, I am unable to comment on whether or not wicketkeeping and batting are more physically demanding than other aspects of the game.

“Now comes the challenging part. But because I am aware that this is what is expected of me, I make an effort to control my body and put even more effort into improving my fitness.

A small amount of work on my keeping, and a significant amount of work on hitting in the middle order and against spin.

Wherever I bat, the thing that will make me the happiest is playing a role that contributes to the victories of my team and my country. First and first, the position in the starting eleven is my top priority. That is the single most essential factor. Rahul stated that he is accustomed to stepping into a variety of responsibilities for the club.

“Once you are there, I will do anything the team asks of me and I will do my best to fulfil their requests. This is something that I’ve always been good at doing.

Since I began playing cricket for India, he continued, he recalled his first Test match, which was played on Boxing Day against Australia in 2014, and said, “Since then…”

“Then after that, I went on to open, played at No 6, and when Shikhar (Dhawan) got hurt, I opened again, played at No 4 and 5,” he said. “After that, I went on to play at No 4 and No 5.”

Rahul, who also led India in Rohit’s absence during the previous year’s tournament, stated that the faith put on him by the team management enables him to thrive under pressure.

“I’ve gone all over, I’ve been asked to keep wickets. It has been entertaining for me. I have truly appreciated being presented with a variety of tasks.

I’ve always thrived when I’ve been required to perform in challenging environments and under intense amounts of scrutiny.