Virat Kohli has set high standards with his work ethic says KL Rahul

Rahul plays a reverse sweep against West Indies in Florida

India top order batsman KL Rahul has heaped praises on Test captain Virat Kohli saying that he has set high standards with his work ethic, consistency and discipline.Kohli recently led his side to a 2-0 Test series win in West Indies and has been in quite a rollicking form of late with the bat. He even got a double ton in the tour.

In an interview with Wisden, Rahul has revealed that Kohli not only works hard himself but also gets the squad to do the same.“Obviously, Virat (Kohli, the captain) has set high standards with his work ethic, consistency and discipline. It is very inspiring to see how hardworking he is. He doesn’t just do it for himself, but takes all the other 14 guys in the squad along with him. He wants the team to get fitter and stronger, and be more aggressive,” Rahul said.

“He is someone who is constantly pushing us to get better and compete with the best in the world. The way he has been building the path for the boys has been quite fun.”The tall right-handed batsman’s followers have increased rapidly in the last few months after his performance in West Indies and USA where he scored tons of runs. He became only the third Indian after Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma to notch a hundred in all three formats. With five tons from just 16 games in all formats Rahul has made quite a strong case for himself to be a regular for team India at the highest level.

“It’s been the way I would have wanted it to be. I have seen what it takes to be successful, I know now how to come back from a bad innings and how to get out of trouble when I am under pressure,” he said.“It has been a very challenging start to my international career. No complaints about it. It has made me stronger as a player. I am enjoying my cricket at the moment, playing well and doing the job for the team. I could not have asked for a better start, and I hope I can learn from my mistakes and improve on my strengths from hereon.”

“I knew if I had to make a permanent place for myself in the team, I had to score big and consistently whenever I got an opportunity.”When he first arrived at the international scene, Rahul was skinny. But now he has also worked on the physical side of the game to help him stay put on the batting crease for long. He said he has had to work on the mental side as well.

“Those are the two things that have really improved in me. One is the mental side, and the other is the physical side. I have always been very religious about my training. I don’t let training take a backseat because I have faced a few injuries in the past and I have realised how important it is to stay fit if you want to play in all formats and play international cricket for a long time,” Rahul remarked.

Asked how he kept himself going when he was on the bench waiting for his opportunity, Rahul said,” Obviously it wasn’t easy but it kept me going. That is what pushed me to work harder and be more committed and disciplined in my work. I knew if I had to make a permanent place for myself in the team, I had to score big and consistently whenever I got an opportunity. I was always preparing myself for the opportunity. I am happy that I made it count when the opportunity came.”

The Indian team too has been in great form of late. They have won three of their first four Test series this summer with two of them overseas. Speaking about the achievement Rahul said,”I would just like to say that this is new Team India. We have everything it takes to win on foreign soil. We are a young, aggressive side who play fearless cricket. No matter who we play or where we play, we will still be aggressive.”

 “The atmosphere and attitude in the team is so positive. We are ready to take on the challenge, and we are ready to go abroad and make ourselves count. The confidence in the team, among the boys and between one another, that is very good to see. I think this team is going to go a long way and achieve a lot of results.”