'I third-wheeled on one of the dinner dates' - KL Rahul's revelation of Virat-Anushka's gesture regarding fear of failure resurfaces

For star Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, his first Test match for India in 2014 was one of the most memorable and most pressured days for him. But Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, wife of his teammate Virat Kohli, helped the debutant come to ease on an important day.

Rahul made his Test debut for India during the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Melbourne. Despite the match ending in a draw, Rahul's performance was disappointing, with scores of just three and one in his two innings. This setback could have been a significant blow to the young cricketer's confidence. But his comments from six years ago on a talk show with Renil Abraham are floating once again where he revealed how Anushka Sharma stepped in to lift his spirits.

"Both of them (Anushka and Virat) have been very good to me and I have a great story to tell you. Anushka was there to watch the Melbourne match. She could see that I was down and dejected (with personal performance) while my thoughts were all over. Anushka came to my room and told me she isn't going to let me sit alone and think about cricket and added that she and Virat are going to take me out," said Rahul.

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It was nice of Anushka to do it: KL Rahul

This gesture led to KL Rahul becoming an unlikely third wheel on one of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's dinner dates. During these outings, the power couple shared their own experiences of failure, helping Rahul realize he wasn't alone in facing setbacks. The support from Virat and Anushka extended throughout the week-long break before the next Test match. Their influence on Rahul was impactful, both as individuals and as a couple.

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"I third-wheeled on one of the dinner dates. Both Virat and Anushka shared their stories describing moments when they had endured failure in their careers. That made me feel like I wasn't the only one who ruined his first impression. We had a week's break before the next game and they took me out every time with them. They are a powerful couple and have had a great influence on me as a couple," he added.

"It was nice of Anushka to do it as I didn't know how she could understand what I was going through. We still stay in touch and exchange a few messages, although Anushka's are about my dog mostly," Rahul concluded.

In the following Test at Sydney, Rahul bounced back spectacularly, scoring a brilliant 110 in the first innings. Since then he has had one of the most successful Test careers as he has played 50 Tests for India, scoring 2,863 runs.