It was just yesterday that head coach Rahul Dravid voiced his support for the opener, saying that runs are not always a guarantee in T20 cricket. Echoing similar sentiments, KL Rahul said he was feeling good about his batting and that he knew a big knock would soon come his way.
India’s opening partnerships were a cause of concern, coming into this game. While skipper Rohit Sharma notched up a fifty against the Netherlands, KL Rahul accumulated just 22 runs from the previous three outings. He thanked the team management for shutting out the outside noise and being equanimous.
After losing Rohit early, he stroked a brisk 50 off 32 balls in a partnership worth 67 runs off 36 balls with Virat Kohli (64* off 44). But the 30-year-old didn’t start too well. There was a host of swings and misses, as he could manage just eight runs off the first 13 deliveries.
The mammoth target of 185 was revised to 151 from 16 overs, courtesy a 50-minute rain interruption. It was clear that the knock boosted KL Rahul’s confidence, as he inflicted a superb direct hit to run out the dangerous Litton Das (60 off 27). Shakib Al Hasan’s boys threatened to pull off an upset, before eventually falling short by five runs.
“You want to understand his mindset” – KL Rahul on his chats with Virat Kohli
As it was bucketing down in Adelaide yesterday, the few Indian players in attendance shifted their optional practice session to the indoor facility. KL Rahul had a brief hit, before having lengthy discussions with Virat Kohli and the support staff.
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper mentioned that he was trying to get a sneak peek into the mindset of Kohli, who has been in red-hot form.
India have leapfrogged South Africa to sit pretty at the top of Group 2. They have their last league encounter against Zimbabwe on October 6 in Melbourne. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have to beat Pakistan earlier that day in Adelaide.
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