After a disappointing run in the Test series in South Africa, K.L. Rahul hopes to find the big runs in the upcoming Twenty20 leg of the tour.
Rahul is not part of the Indian ODI squad, which has allowed him the time to play in the domestic one-day Vijay Hazare Trophy matches here.
Speaking about his performance in South Africa, Rahul stated he was surprised with the amount of seam movement that was on offer. The opening batsman made 10, 4, 0 and 16 in the two Tests he featured in.
“South Africa was a whole new challenge. We expected pace and bounce, but I did not expect that much seam movement. It was surprising. The movement, coupled with pace and bounce, is a deadly combination. You don’t want to be an opening batsman in such conditions (laughs). But, overall, it was a good learning experience,” Rahul said on Saturday.
In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Rahul has scored 3 and 22 in Karnataka’s first two fixtures. Saturday’s outing, against Haryana, was called off due to a wet outfield. It has not been the best of tune-ups, given that Rahul will travel to South Africa in a few days to join the Indian Twenty20 squad.
“I would have liked to spend more time in the middle here, in order to make the adjustments to the shorter format. I hope to bat tomorrow (against Punjab),” Rahul said.
The 25-year-old was picked by Kings XI Punjab in the 2018 IPL auctions, at a price of ₹11 crore. As the sole wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad, Rahul is expected to bear a heavy load for the franchise.
He is confident that he can deliver with the bat and the ’keeping gloves.
“I like the responsibility, and to be in a position where a team expects a lot from me.
“Kings XI Punjab has me as the sole wicketkeeper; they don’t need anyone else. That is how the franchise feels, and that’s how I feel, too,” he said.
