Watching Dravid, Williamson I realised I have certain gifts I can use to succeed in T20s, says KL Rahul
Mumbai: India batter KL Rahul revealed he “tried really hard” to prove big-hitting prowess early in his career but watching the legendary Rahul Dravid and Kane Williamson stay true to their natural game and succeed in white-ball formats changed his perspective and helped him evolve as a player.
One of the most stylish batters, Rahul admitted that in his younger days he often tried to be something he was not.
“I think I grew as an individual and as a player. As a youngster, I tried really hard to be someone I wasn’t, trying to hit big sixes to prove I could,” Rahul said in an exclusive interview on Star Sports.
“It just wasn’t coming naturally. What changed for me was watching Rahul Dravid in one of the IPL seasons around 2011 or 2012.
He stayed true to his technique, and he was one of the best batsmen. Seeing him do well in one-day and T20 cricket without changing his game changed something in me,” he added.
The 32-year-old, who played 53 Tests, 77 ODIs, and 72 T20Is for India, had spent time in the same dressing room with Williamson, one of the best batters in
contemporary cricket, during his time at Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Observing both Williamson and Dravid, Rahul realised that he could succeed in T20 cricket by staying true to his natural game.
“I also spent time with Kane Williamson at SRH. He didn’t get many chances, but he’d still go back and play amazing white-ball innings for New Zealand. “Watching Dravid and Williamson, I realized I didn’t need to try so hard. I had certain gifts I could use in T20 cricket to find success.”
Rahul began his IPL career at RCB in 2013, he spent two seasons at SRH before returning to the Bengaluru franchise in 2016, where he played with the likes of Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers, which boosted his confidence. “Once I embraced that mindset, things clicked for me. In the 2016 IPL, I had Virat and AB’s guidance—the best T20 players around.
Just talking to them at training about my game made a difference. Once the performances started coming, the confidence followed.”
