"Mayank got 15 minutes late, the coaches scolded us for that" - KL Rahul recalls mischievous incident from younger days
Team India batter KL Rahul has opened up on a naughty incident from his younger days as a cricketer when he and Karnataka teammate Mayank Agarwal were scolded for delaying the team bus' departure.
Rahul and Agarwal have progressed from the state level and now play for India together. They are also captains of their respective IPL franchises.
While the former is leading the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the latter is the Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain.
Appearing on the chat show 'Breakfast with Champions', Rahul said that he wasn't the mischievous kind during his teenage years as a cricketer. He added that the one time that he did take part in a fun activity, he ended up getting scolded by the coaches.
Spilling the beans, the 29-year-old recalled:
"I remember we were in Delhi only, me and Mayank (Agarwal). We were playing the U-19 or U-22 state games or something. We finished the game early, we beat them (opponents) and we had to travel the next day at 5 in the morning.
"The game got over at around 3-3:30 PM. We thought what should we do now. We can go out and have a good time."
The cricketer added that they we were staying in a hostel, the gate of which used to shut at 10 PM. Continuing the story, he said:
"It was a big gate, so we went out at 9 PM and came back by 4 AM or something because our bus was leaving at 5 AM. So we had to climb the gate and then go into our room, get ready.
"Mayank got 15 minutes late, the coaches scolded us for that. And then, we were all like big eyes, wearing sunglasses. The coach is like, 'You're not serious.' We were like one mischief and that's enough."
Rahul made his debut as LSG captain in IPL 2022 on Monday. However, it was not a memorable start as the Gujarat Titans defeated them by five wickets.
"Have not been suspended in school or in college" – KL Rahul on talk show controversy
It has been three years since Rahul and Hardik Pandya were briefly suspended for making controversial statements on a chat show. However, the topic is bound to come up during a discussion around the two cricketers.
Opening up on his feelings during that tough phase, the elegant batter conceded that he initially could not process what had happened. He explained:
"The suspension happened and it's like a wake-up call, like go in the right direction. The suspension also hit me very hard because I have not been suspended in school or in college.
"I've never been the mischievous guy who keeps getting reprimanded or parents are getting notes, nothing. I didn't know how to handle that whole time initially. But then, it is what it is, made me stronger."
🏽
This one felt like a win because of the way we fought.
Proud 💙🙏🏽
@LucknowIPL https://t.co/mNXuy6sLfo
The two suspended cricketers were sent back from Australia in January 2019 after the controversy grew bigger. However, the BCCI revoked the suspension a few days later.