About the team’s mentality and preparation for the match against South Africa in Cape Town, KL Rahul exclusively speaks with Star Sports. “There was a little bit of change in the planning and attitude only,” KL Rahul says. We cannot claim that we were unprepared for the most recent test match. We were prepared, but sometimes the opposition really blows you out of the test match, or we’re just not used to it.
Although we weren’t prepared for it and it was a huge hit for us, it speaks volumes about how much we value playing for our country, how much we enjoy playing test cricket, and how much winning series outside of India means to us. Over the last four to five years, we have been a really competitive team. Therefore, throughout the course of a single day, it was merely a mental shift.
This time, we were prepared for a fight and more so than before. Our goal was to win and perform exceptionally well. In terms of bowling and hitting in our most recent game, I believe we weren’t quite at our best. Although we were ready, we lacked the extra fire or edge. We also give South Africa credit for not letting us pursue that confidence. They cheaply bowled us out in both innings. The fact that we could bounce off so beautifully made us very thrilled.
Exclusively, KL Rahul discussed how he recovered from his first injury better than ever:
“Although at first I was really frustrated, I found that staying by myself was the best thing for me.” Before my injury, KL Rahul wasn’t able to make many runs and received a lot of criticism. I also didn’t love playing cricket and being on the pitch, where I was always getting criticism.
That respite was incredibly beneficial to me, and I felt somewhat rejuvenated and full of energy when I resumed exercising after the surgery. I came to realize how much I enjoy and miss playing the game. Whether you’re doing well or not is irrelevant; what matters is that when you’re on the field, dressed in blue or white, you can truly feel and realize how much you love the game, which is all we’ve done since we were little.
It took me three to four months to understand that my only hobby was playing cricket, despite the fact that even during my time off, my parents and friends had asked. That was the mental shift: regardless of how well you perform, you should always embrace the opportunities you are given. That was the mental shift that occurred: I had already been dropped, injured, and had bad performances, so I was like, okay, enjoy, or rather, enjoy everything. After so many injuries, I do come in with the mindset that it will all end at some point, but you might enjoy what you have in front of you rather than thinking of criticism that you’ll be out of the team.
You really have no control over it, so I approach the game with the mindset of never giving up. As I recently mentioned to Irfan Bhai, whenever I walk in, I try to look at the scoreboard and the game’s circumstances, realizing that anything I can do to improve the situation will make the game a little easier and more fun.
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