"I was always confident"- KL Rahul on how he fought poor form
KL Rahul has stressed that he never doubted himself despite going through a run of low scores against England in the recently-concluded T20I series.
The 28-year-old scored just 15 runs in four innings, including two ducks, and was subsequently left out of the T20I series decider.
After the likes of Ishan Kishan and skipper Virat Kohli shone at the top of the order, there were talks about KL Rahul getting the ax in T20Is ahead of the World Cup later this year.
However, Rahul came roaring back into form as he smashed an unbeaten 62 off just 43 balls in the first ODI against England in Pune.
In a press conference ahead of the second ODI, KL Rahul explained how he prepared himself mentally to make a strong comeback in the one-day series.
"I was always confident. There was never any doubt of confidence or self-belief. I was preparing well, hitting the ball well in the nets. I was sitting on the bench for a while and was excited about doing well in the T20I series. Every cricketer and every player wants to do that but sometimes it doesn't happen. So you also have to accept that it will not always go your way," KL Rahul said.
Happy that I could form a partnership with Krunal Pandya: KL Rahul
Batting first, India were in a spot of bother despite a good start from their top three. From 169-1, the hosts slumped to 205-5 and it was all down to KL Rahul and ODI debutant Krunal Pandya to take their team to a good score with less than 10 overs left.
Krunal came out all guns blazing and that allowed KL Rahul to play himself in. Once he was set, Rahul got into the act and began to time the ball to perfection.
The duo added a stunning 112 runs for the sixth wicket and returned unscathed as the hosts posted a match-winning total of 317-5.
KL Rahul was delighted to be able to make a meaningful contribution to India's victory and give them a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
"In one-day, batting at No.5, I could afford to take a bit of time in the middle, having hit a couple of shots from the middle of the bat did calm down a bit of nerve. After facing 20-25 balls I got more confidence and was happy that I could form a partnership with Krunal and we could take the team past 300," Rahul asserted.
India were too hot to handle for England in the first ODI as the latter fell short of the target by 66 runs. While the visitors' top-order remains world-class, it is their brittle middle-order that the hosts will look to expose again.
With the series on the line, the Three Lions will need to make a strong comeback on Friday in the second ODI in Pune.