KL Rahul - Lockdown worries to IPL Success

By NAPARAZZI - LOKESH RAHUL, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38063203

Like many cricketers, KL Rahul struggled with fear and a lack of motivation during the coronavirus's lockdown. Speaking to the Indian Express, the 28-year-old admitted to having nightmares and even doubts about his ability to play at the highest level.

“Couple of nights, I had nightmares,” he said. “I woke up with the feeling: what if I can’t pick line and length of the ball? What if I become slower? What if I don’t have the same cover drive as before?” He felt even worse after his first practice session back saying: “I batted so badly in that session it was scary.”

Fortunately, things improved, and Rahul was ready for when the Indian Premier League finally started. In just his second match back, he broke records.

Captaining the Kings XI Punjab team against Royal Challengers Bangalore following a first match defeat, he batted throughout the innings to make 132 off 69 balls in his side’s victory.

It was the highest IPL score by an Indian.

The fourth highest overall. He scored more off his own bat than Royal Challengers managed (109) altogether.

By Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75881890

He admitted afterward to broadcaster Star that he had felt a little rusty. Earlier, in his Indian Express interview, he had spoken about the difficulty with staying busy and motivated during the lockdown.

After allowing himself a short break to allow his body to recharge after years of relentless cricket, he said: “My fear was that I would get lazy so I trained at home during the day. I made a plan for a day and tried to stick to it. Most days I stuck to my plan. I didn’t waste my time watching TV. I cooked, walked my dog, and designed clothes for my brand.”

By Anirudh Singh from Meerut, India - Dharamshala Cricket Stadium, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47281186

Rahul will be hoping that all of that hard work pays off in this year’s IPL as he and long-time friend Mayank Agarwal look to translate their good starts personally in the competition into a winning run for Kings XI Punjab, who have won just one of their first five games.

He will also be hoping that a good IPL will mean a recall to India’s Test side, where once again, he would open the batting alongside Agarwal.

Rahul’s emergence will also help Virat and the rest of the Indian cricket team as they chase victory across all the three formats!