"I felt it came naturally to me"- Anuj Rawat on the role of finisher for RCB
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat was backed as an opener for the IPL 2022 season. He did score a half-century against the Mumbai Indians, but RCB eventually ended up with Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli as their opening combination in the second half of the season.
The team didn't lose faith in Rawat's abilities and continued to back him in the 2023 edition of the tournament. While the southpaw was a bit inconsistent at the beginning, he seemed to find his groove in the finisher's role towards the backend of the IPL 2023 season with a standout performance of 29*(11) against the Rajasthan Royals.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Anuj Rawat explained how he tried to adapt to the position assigned to him and why the middle order felt more natural. On the transition from opener to middle-order and finisher, he said:
"I have practiced in the preparatory camps and also in the pre-season in the middle-order. So I felt it came naturally to me and I did well."
Rawat also thanked the RCB management for continuing to show faith in his abilities and spoke about how that boosts confidence. He added:
"I played as an opener for RCB in my first season and it was clear from the outset that they wanted to see me open. So when the team management backs you and shows confidence in you, automatically you seem to be more confident in your own game. When you're in and out of the team, it may get a bit tough to manage as a player. However, you need to be mentally strong and keep looking forward."
Open to adapt to any role: Anuj Rawat
Anuj Rawat believes in being flexible enough to bat in any position and any situation that the team wants. He understands the need to adapt and is ready to do so next season as well.
On this, Rawat stated:
"I am open for any role (in RCB). You try 100 percent to fit in any role and when you're playing for such a big team then you have to be open to adapting to any position."
With Dinesh Karthik reaching the twilight of his career, RCB may look at Anuj Rawat as the long-term wicketkeeper-batter and finisher.