KL Rahul’s Journey from ‘Test Specialist’ to White-Ball Star
KL Rahul, the flamboyant Indian batter, has candidly shared his experiences on the challenges he faced in shedding the ‘Test specialist’ tag and establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in white-ball cricket.
Rahul made his India debut in Test cricket against Australia in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2016 that he made his international debut in white-ball cricket. Despite his impressive performances, many still saw him primarily as a Test player, doubting his abilities in the shorter formats.
However, Rahul was determined to change this perception. He recalls being surprised by his ability to hit sixes in his early days, a skill that was not typically associated with Test specialists. He attributes his growth to the realization that he possessed the skills and strength to succeed in white-ball cricket, despite the initial skepticism.
Rahul’s breakthrough came in the 2016 IPL season, where he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore. His impressive performances that season, scoring 397 runs in 14 matches, helped change people’s perceptions and established him as a formidable one-day and T20 player.
Rahul’s consistent performances over the years have solidified his position in India’s white-ball teams. He has scored over 2800 runs in 75 ODIs and over 2000 runs in T20Is, including seven ODI centuries and several match-winning knocks in T20Is.
Despite his success, Rahul recently missed out on selection for India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, with Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson being preferred as wicketkeeping options. Rahul’s batting position as an opener in the IPL was cited as one of the reasons for his omission.
However, Rahul remains optimistic and committed to continuing his improvement and contributing to India’s success in the coming years.
