We are ready to go abroad and make ourselves count: KL Rahul

The new sensation in the Indian batting line-up, KL Rahul is very confident of the young Indian side turning out well in all conditions. He also praised the Test skipper Virat Kohli for the way he works hard on his fitness which is the key to performing at the highest level.

Rahul believes that the Indian side has everything that it takes to win matches in overseas conditions as they play the fearless brand of cricket. “I would just like to say that this is new Team India. We have everything it takes to win on foreign soil. We are a young, aggressive side who play fearless cricket. No matter who we play or where we play, we will still be aggressive.”

In an interview with Wisden, Rahul admitted that Virat not just works hard himself, rather takes all the members of the squad along with him.“Obviously, Virat (Kohli, the captain) has set high standards with his work ethic, consistency, and discipline. It is very inspiring to see how hardworking he is. He doesn’t just do it for himself but takes all the other 14 guys in the squad along with him. He wants the team to get fitter and stronger, and be more aggressive,” Rahul said.

“He is someone who is constantly pushing us to get better and compete with the best in the world. The way he has been building the path for the boys has been quite fun,” he added.

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It’s been a challenging start to my career:

Lokesh Rahul, who made his debut in the Test match against Australia at Melbourne in 2014, didn’t have the best of the starts to his career as he failed to impress in the match, but however scored his maiden hundred in the second Test match at Sydney. 2016 has been his year, he made his ODI and T20I debut and became the third Indian batsman to score a century in all three formats of the game.

“It’s been the way I would have wanted it to be. I have seen what it takes to be successful, I know now how to come back from a bad innings and how to get out of trouble when I am under pressure,” he said. “It has been a very challenging start to my international career. No complaints about it. It has made me stronger as a player. I am enjoying my cricket at the moment, playing well and doing the job for the team. I could not have asked for a better start, and I hope I can learn from my mistakes and improve on my strengths from hereon.”

Rahul has been in-and-out of the squad quite a few times, and he really knew how to make a permanent spot in the playing eleven. “I knew if I had to make a permanent place for myself in the team, I had to score big and consistently whenever I got an opportunity.”

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Two things that have really improved:

Earlier, Rahul was skinny, but now he worked out himself to get strong and fit so that he can stay at the crease for longer.

“Those are the two things that have really improved in me. One is the mental side, and the other is the physical side. I have always been very religious about my training. I don’t let training take a backseat because I have faced a few injuries in the past and I have realised how important it is to stay fit if you want to play in all formats and play international cricket for a long time,” Rahul remarked.

From drinks boy to run machine:

How did he keep himself going while he was just warming the benches for quite some time after making his debut in 2014, he said, “Obviously, it wasn’t easy but it kept me going. That is what pushed me to work harder and be more committed and disciplined in my work. I knew if I had to make a permanent place for myself in the team, I had to score big and consistently whenever I got an opportunity. I was always preparing myself for the opportunity. I am happy that I made it count when the opportunity came.”

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The Indian team too has been in great form of late and he said that the team has a positive attitude and is ready to take on challenges. “The atmosphere and attitude in the team are so positive. We are ready to take on the challenge, and we are ready to go abroad and make ourselves count. The confidence in the team, among the boys and between one another, that is very good to see. I think this team is going to go a long way and achieve a lot of results,” he concluded.