India’s vice-captain KL Rahul has revealed that he is working hard in the nets to improve his strike rate in the shortest format of the game. Rahul recently made a comeback to International cricket after a long layoff due to injury but he has looked a bit rusty.
The flamboyant batter could only score 31 runs in the two ODI innings against Zimbabwe. The right-hander wasn’t at his best in the Asia Cup but played a fine knock of 61 runs off just 42 balls against Afghanistan in the team’s final match of the tournament.
The 30-year-old from Karnataka has a strike rate of 140.92 in the shortest format of the game, which is really impressive. However, it has been noticed that Rahul can sometimes get bogged down at one end.
“Look, [it’s] obviously something that every player works towards,” Rahul said on the eve of the first T20I against Australia. “No one is perfect. No one in that dressing room is perfect. Everyone is working towards something. Everyone has a certain role to do. Obviously, strike rates are taken at an overall basis. You never see when that batsman has played at a certain strike rate, whether it was important for him to play at 200 strike rate or if the team could have still won playing at 100-120 strike rate. So these are the things that not everybody analyses. Or if you look at it, it looks slow.
“Yes, it is something that I am working at. Obviously, the roles that have been defined to each player in the last 10-12 months have been very clear. And the player understands what is expected of him, and the player is working towards it. Obviously, I am just working towards how I can better myself as an opening batter, and see how I can have the most impact for my team whenever I go out to play in the middle.”
Rahul went on to add that every player gets the support of the captain, coach and support staff, and that’s how he can flourish. The right-hander revealed he has received the backing and he is looking to deliver his best.
“For us, it is what goes on in our team that is most important. We have had a leader, we have had a coach, we have had a support staff that are encouraging players, appreciating players not just when they do well but also when they are going through a tough time. Which is what a player wants to see. Which is what any individual in any field would want to see. That little bit of support, that little bit of care when someone is down, when someone has not had a great game. That is what I have got, that is what everyone in the team gets. That is exactly where we want to be as a team. And that is exactly where we are. That is something we try to build on. Individuals will make mistakes and learn from it when the environment is such that you do get the support and freedom to go out there and be yourselves and express yourselves.”
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has confirmed that KL Rahul will open the innings with him in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
India will take on Australia on Tuesday at Mohali.
