In an exclusive interview for Star Sports’ “Believe” series, KL Rahul discusses his early views on cricket and his approach to the game. “I don’t see any other rational explanations for how I made it this far, and I’ve always believed that it must be that obsession and love for cricket,” the author writes. Yes, I enjoyed watching cricket a lot as a child. Simply put, my dad was a cricket enthusiast. The cricket game was a family favourite. Thus, even when I wasn’t playing cricket, I would still watch it, regardless of who was playing in a different region of the world. My dad enjoyed watching, as I mentioned. As a result, we would watch the games together.
KL Rahul talks about how much he loves and is passionate about playing cricket, and how his coach and family in Mangalore support him. “My need to play cricket also became a bit of an addiction for me. I adore the game so much. I’ve got to make use of it. I have to make a living from this. Indeed, I think that success in a team comes from a lot of hard work, and everyone has their own problems and success stories.
Although I wouldn’t want it any other way, I had to go through the same thing. Nobody played cricket when I was a little boy from Mangalore, a small town. There aren’t any athletic facilities or cricket fields. After that, he traveled to play in the Indian Premier League, representing India, in Mangalore, Karnataka, and other places.
KL Rahul met a variety of people who have consistently supported and believed in themselves. KL Rahul parents and family have made the most significant contribution. Although they didn’t originally share my beliefs, they eventually realized how hard I was working and, via performances and public recognition, began to consider that, well, maybe—especially for my son—he might wind up playing professionally.
My coach from Mangalore, I believe, has always held that calm belief. It was never overly loud, and he would run around telling everyone that this boy was going to play for India. In fact, I don’t think even he believed it because we, the lads from tiny towns, were always led to believe that it would be that much harder.
Playing for India is already a difficult task. It will be somewhat more difficult for someone from a small town, though, as they will have fewer prospects and all of those things. Hence, even though you believe in yourself and are confident, there’s a small voice in your mind that suggests that there have been many individuals who have tried and failed before you and that you could be one of them as well.
That is, therefore, constant. Thus, I believe that my coach also had a similar mental process, but because he has been coaching for a long time, I believe he made sure that I pushed that much harder. A couple youngsters he had previously worked with had made it to the Karnataka team but were unable to advance. He therefore had a small, burning desire to find and coach an Indian player. It was, then, his dream. We both dreamed about it.
KL Rahul bats, and he talks about his wife Athiya Shetty’s small superstition and the support she gave him during his injury and recovery: “She was with me.” She has always supported me, no matter what. Most days, she was more irritated and frustrated than I was. Thus, I discovered that my primary goal was to calm her down. Additionally, it’s the first time she’s witnessed me going through something similar. It was difficult for us both, but it also allowed us to spend the time we needed together, which was beneficial. Things got off to a slow start, and I believe I should repeat the same procedure.
I think the negativity led to the injury, so during this time, I just tried to be happy, appreciate the little things in life, and spend time with my wife and family at home. These things helped me heal a lot quicker and I returned to the game much happier and more eager to play the sport that has brought me so much joy.
“Even though she is going to kill me, when I step onto the ground, I don’t really think about her.” I don’t intend to sound negative or unromantic, but it’s always cricket. She provides me with an abundance of love and peace, and that’s what she does for me. She provides me with that in terms of cricket, my career, and my personal life.
KL Rahul She is aware that when I’m calm and in a really balanced frame of mind, I perform at my best.
Sometimes KL Rahul can be a little too content and a little too relaxed. She does push me, which I think is sometimes necessary for someone like me. She challenges me to be better or to push my boundaries a little bit. She makes me laugh a lot, in my opinion, off the field. Of course, there’s a lot of love, and she gets me.
She comprehends me. Additionally, she is someone who keeps herself active and is well-known. She is aware of the highs and lows in our sector. She’s just my kind of girl; therefore, it’s easy for me to communicate with and talk to her. It’s only she and me when I wake up, after finishing my games, before going to a game, or before going to sleep. Okay, you married the correct person.
“I kept telling her that you should come watch the game in the stadiums a lot more, because it’s exceptional because the World Cup was held here. She feels pressured, though, so she dislikes being at the stadium. She appreciates it, feels like you know, and says her house is a lucky place. That’s why she wants to sit down. You understand the potential of partners. They have fortunate seats and places, you know. When I bat, she won’t move; they want to sit there and watch it.
She plays a game of her own when I’m playing the game because she believes in certain superstitions. Thus, yes, it is really unique. She is aware of her ability to sense it. She is able to detect it. She traveled to Australia with me. That was very special when we played. Despite not being a home World Cup, the intensity in Australia and the way we performed were just amazing. She really enjoyed it, and she could see that it’s completely different from the IPL or what we play at home, so she has a much better understanding of cricket now.
India
