"Everyone will see an aggressive KL Rahul for sure" - Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer
Punjab Kings coach for batting, Wasim Jaffer has made it clear that KL Rahul will play more aggressively in the upcoming IPL season. The Indian batsman finished as last season's top scorer with 670 runs in 14 matches.
However, KL Rahul came under fire for his conservative approach, batting at a strike rate of 129.35. In an interaction with Times Of India, Wasim Jaffer explained why the Karnataka batsman had to take a 'timid' approach.
"KL batted a little timidly last season. He probably batted deeper because there was not much batting after No. 5, and Glenn Maxwell was not firing. He took that responsibility on himself to try and stay at the crease and get the job done. This time around, everyone will see an aggressive KL Rahul for sure," Jaffer said.
KL Rahul had a shocking T20I series against England recently. The opening batsman managed scores of 1, 0, 0 & 14 before he was dropped for the final T20I. As a result, the Punjab Kings skipper fell down a spot to sixth place in the latest ICC rankings for T20I batsmen.
KL Rahul showed why he is a special player: Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer isn't reading too much into KL Rahul's poor outing in the T20I series against England. Following his dismal display in T20Is, the 28-year-old came roaring back to form in the ODI series with a hundred and a fifty.
"It can happen to any player. The more games he played, the better he became. Yes, he had a poor T20 series, but it did not make him a bad batsman. He has scored centuries in all three formats and knows his game better than anyone else. In the ODIs, he showed why he is such a special player," Jaffer said.
The batting coach also believes the Punjab team is a much more balanced side this year after Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith's arrivals.
"This is a much more balanced side than last year. We lacked bowlers who can back Mohammed Shami. In Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith, we have got two pacers who can bowl quick," Jaffer added.
Punjab Kings are one of three teams who are yet to win the IPL title. It remains to be seen whether the new additions backed by KL Rahul's renewed approach can take them over the line this year.