IND V AUS 2020: ‘Virat Kohli is always there for the boys,’ says limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul
In Rohit Sharma’s absence, in-form batsman KL Rahul has been elevated to the vice-captaincy position for the limited-overs series against Australia. While KL Rahul led Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020, being the deputy of Virat Kohli for the series Down Under will be a challenge of a completely different level.
In a recorded press interview from Sydney, wearing the new Team India jersey, KL Rahul praised Kohli, stating that having a passionate leader like him will make his job a little easier.
"When you are playing for your country, you have eleven of the best guys from the country, they are all skilled, they have great cricketing minds and they have a great understanding all by themselves. We have an able and passionate leader like Virat who will always be there for the boys, it just makes your job a little bit easier,” KL Rahul, who was the Orange Cap winner in IPL 2020, with 670 runs in 14 games, stated.
“I'm looking forward to the new responsibility, it's something that every player looks forward to doing and it's a very proud moment. So hopefully I can continue putting up the same performances and maybe take it one or two steps ahead and make sure that the team environment is great and the players are hungry and looking forward to winning games for their country," the new vice-captain further added.
Asked whether leading KXIP will aid him in Australia, KL Rahul replied that he did get a bit of a feeler, and that should hopefully stand him in good stead.
“I had to play similar roles there as well. It was challenging, it was new. But I think I got used to that role and I started enjoying it," he conceded.
KL Rahul and Australian tours: Bitter-sweet memories
It was in Australia that KL Rahul made his international debut, in the 2014 Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. It was debut to forget for KL Rahul in every sense, as he tried to take on the Aussie bowlers in both the innings without getting set, and was dismissed for 3 and 1 respectively.
In the first innings, he played an expansive sweep off Nathan Lyon, even as the ball was spinning off the rough, and top-edged one. During his second visit to the crease, he top-edged a short ball from Mitchell Johnson.
In the very next Test at Sydney, though, he redeemed himself with a maiden Test century, scoring 110 in a drawn encounter.
KL Rahul was also part of the Indian ODI squad in Australia when the team toured Down Under in 2018-19. However, he and Hardik Pandya were suspended from the tour and called back owing to their controversial comments on a chat show.
It remains to be seen what the latest visit to Australia has in store for vice-captain KL Rahul.