‘Not all of us worry about the short ball’

ROLLING HIS ARM OVER: M.S. Dhoni (right) and K.L. Rahul at India’s training session .

Opener K.L. Rahul smiled when it was suggested to him that England seamer Jake Ball might pepper India’s captain Virat Kohli with some short stuff in the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium.

“Good luck to them,” said Rahul at a press conference on Wednesday, the eve of the match. Rahul went on to speak about his captain’s ability as a prolific run-scorer. “He has so many runs under his belt. Lot of runs came off the short stuff.

“Not all of us worry about the short ball. We like to make runs off those deliveries. Knowing him, having watched him score so many centuries, I don’t think it will be a problem,” said Rahul.

Rahul also spoke about Kohli’s aggressive leadership and his influence.

“It’s just been one game for now, but the guys who are part of the Test team know how aggressive he is as captain. We love playing under Virat. He has always supported me and it’s good to have a young leader and also to have M.S. (Dhoni) in the team, who not only guides Virat as a skipper, but also the youngsters. It’s good to have both of them in the team,” he said.

Leading by example

“Virat has led by example so many times. We just look up to him, how he builds his innings, his energies, the kind of enthusiasm and passion on the field. It spreads.

“Yes, we learn a lot from him. He’s somebody who is looking not just to put great performances individually, but also to take the team forward.

“He is always sharing experiences, giving us feedback on how we could have done better and that’s the sign of a good leader,” said Rahul.

The soft-spoken Karnataka player spoke on the healthy competition for places in the playing XI. “The competition keeps us going and motivated. We know there are other guys who are capable enough.

“That’s what wakes me up in the morning and makes me train harder everyday, turn up at the practice everyday and work harder. It's a good place to be in. We love the competition in team. We take it in a positive way, try to remain positive in our work ethic.”