KL Rahul, the renowned Indian batter, has shed light on his wicketkeeping abilities, particularly during his recovery from injury. He revealed that he diligently practiced wicketkeeping during his rehabilitation sessions at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
Speaking at a post-match press conference following the match against Sri Lanka, KL Rahul acknowledged that he had been away from cricket for an extended period but expressed satisfaction with his return to the Indian cricket team.
The 31-year-old, who serves as a wicketkeeper and batter, conveyed his trust in the training sessions he underwent at the NCA over the past three or four months. KL Rahul also exhibited confidence in his wicketkeeping skills after recovering from a thigh injury.
While admitting to initial nervousness, KL Rahul emphasized that he quickly regained his composure once he began facing deliveries. He added that he focused on determining which shots were feasible to play and executed them accordingly.
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“It has been some time since I played some cricket, and so far, it has been good. I trusted my preparation for the last three or four months and was confident I could do the job. I was nervous initially, but once I faced a few balls, it was back to normal. After the first few balls, I tried to figure out the shots I could play and did not want to go into a shell. I wanted to defend and diffuse the pressure at the same time. I still wanted to play my shots, but according to the nature of the pitch,” said KL Rahul.
Regarding his wicketkeeping, KL Rahul noted that he has been performing this role for a while now, particularly after Rishabh Pant sustained a concussion in 2019. He mentioned that the team management had assigned him the role of wicketkeeping and playing in the middle order. During his time at the NCA, while recovering from injury, he had the opportunity to work on his wicketkeeping skills.
“Before the injury, I was wicket-keeping. It has been quite a while since I have been keeping. Since Rishabh Pant got concussed in 2019, I have donned the gloves. So, it is not something new. The team management had also told me that my role would be to keep and play in the middle order. When I was in NCA during recovery, I got a bit of time, and I worked on my wicketkeeping,” he added.