KL Rahul found a new outlook on cricket over the course of the last year, and the India batsman said he has his suspension to thank for it.
Both Rahul and Hardik Pandya came under fire for remarks on Koffee with Karan that were criticized as insensitive, leading to him being pulled off the road in Australia and suspended by the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators. As the Times of India noted, Rahul used the suspension as a chance to do some self-reflection — both about his behavior and his approach to cricket.
Rahul has since seen a breakout in performances, scoring 303 runs in five innings at an average of 75.85 and strike rate of 114.77 in ODIs, the Times of India report noted.
In an interview this week, Rahul credited the suspension with helping him change his approach.
“With this suspension and with all that happened, I was tempted or I was in a way wanted to be selfish and play for myself, and I failed,” he said. “So I told myself I need to go out and do what the team wants me to do.”
Rahul added that the suspension made him realize just how little time cricket players have at the top of their game, and how he could be replaced. He said that he likely has 11 or 12 years left in his career and wants to dedicate all of his time and energy during that time to become a better player and teammate.
Rahul said that the shift in his mindset took pressure off, allowing him to focus on doing better for the team and help lead them to championships . He added that having the support of Rohit Sharma has helped him regain his confidence in himself and his game, especially when Sharma said that Rahul would be his first choice for the opening slot in T20Is.
That backing was especially important given the controversy that surrounded Rahul’s suspension and a call to return from Australia, a time when the Indian team was playing well and the remarks were seen as a major distraction.
As Rahul said, the faith that Sharma showed made him feel like a senior player on the team, one who others look to for stability.
“When senior players feel like there is a guy who can take responsibility, a player who has not played consistently for the country, it gives a lot of confidence,” he stated, per Times of India .