Indian cricketer KL Rahul shared his experience with IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore and suggested that he could have had a ‘Cinderella’ story if he had gone back to the Karnataka-based side that he had played during the period.
Rahul made his debut in IPL playing for RCB in 2013 but due to a few injuries and competition could play only four games for the team, having batted only twice in the two walks and then was taken by Sunrisers Hyderabad before the start of the 2014 season.
The local boy came back to RCB in 2016 and played in 14 matches for the team scoring 397 runs.
“In 2016, when I returned to RCB, that could have been a fairytale, at RCB everyone was able to fulsome the praise,” Rahul started.
“Bangalore is where I grew up, and the people there consider me, a true Grammarian, as a native,” he added.
However, he was ruled out for the entire 2017 season due to injury before he was signed by Punjab Kings prior to the 2018 season where he shone and even became the captain of the team though he was later signed by Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 season.
“In sports that are quite tragic, your best is not always good enough,” he added.
Rahul, who is not in his best form always asserts that he is a warrior and has always been one who tries to work on getting better in his craft.
“I have always been someone who has tried very hard and I’ll find a way to bounce back. I’ll find a way to better my cricket. I am okay with any role or any responsibility,” the 32 year old said.
Since he sought a change and cited the need to express himself freely with the bat as a key reason, Rahul did not make the list of players LSG decided to retain before the forthcoming mega auction.
“I was looking for a new beginning, I was looking to weigh my options and I was looking to go play where I could find some liberation. The team dynamic would be less strict, at times one just has to step back and look for the good in things and it has been a while since I was in the T20 set up,” he said.
Rahul realizes that he is a player and understands the work which needs to be put in to get back in form. He also looked forward to the IPL season as a season of restoration and a chance to get back into the T20 side which he has missed for quite some time.
Rahul, who has not featured for Indian in the shortest format of the game in more than two years now stated that he knows his worth and the ability that he possesses and that he is determined to return to the big stage and courted the season of the IPL with a renewed hope of going back to his best form.
“I understand my value as a player and I understand the measures that are necessary for me to rehabilitate,” Rahul speaking.
“I’m hoping this IPL season will provide that chance for me to go back and play the way I enjoy playing. To be honest my objective is to obviously work my way back into the T20 side,” he ascertained.
