KL Rahul- India pre-match press conference, 28 Feb '2025
[Reporter:]
Just want to ask that how difficult is it for you – sometimes seven, sometimes six, sometimes five – in last five to six games you only played once in your position. Also, is there any update on Rohit or Shammi or any other fitness issues in the team?
[KL Rahul:]
It's never easy for anyone on the team to be moving in different places. But that's how the game goes. Whatever the team thinks is the best possible combination and what they feel is the best entry points for player - you leave it up to the team to decide and you just try and do your job and that's what I'm focusing on. Fitness wise I think there's no, I don't know too much but from whatever I know I think everything seems pretty okay. There's no real concerns about anyone missing games as far as I know. We'll probably know more in today's training. Yeah everyone's been in the gym, everyone's been at training the last time as well so yeah little some concerns but I don't think it's too much.
[Reporter:]
You batted in one match, and didn't bat in the other. What would you say about the surface? Because you played all your matches in Dubai, although there are different pitches. India has played all their matches in Dubai, although there are different pitches. What would you say about the surface? Is it really difficult? The ball stops in the middle of the overs. What assessment have you made?
[KL Rahul:]
The same assessment that you have made. The wicket is slow. Going in, any new batter, he finds it very difficult to rotate the strike. And the pace of the wicket is slightly different to the England series we have played. So, it takes a little bit of time to get used to it. But the good thing is that we have played in Dubai before. And we played on pitches like this. So, we had a fair understanding that when we come here, this will be the challenge. So, we were mentally a little bit prepared and we came here a week early so the practice we were doing there also had similar wickets. It just gave us a little bit of time to get used to it. And yeah, I think on such wickets, whoever is the set batter, the longer he plays, the better it is for the team. And that's what gives you that extra 30-40 runs. Because if the wickets keep going, the new batters will find it a bit difficult.
[Reporter:]
Due to Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral series over the last decade, New Zealand has had a lot of experience playing in these conditions. I mean, obviously some of the names have changed, but how formidable a side do you think they're going to be and how seriously are you taking them?
[KL Rahul:]
Yeah, we don't take anyone lightly, especially in this competition. It's my first Champions Trophy and what I've realised is things happen really quickly. It's not like the World Cups where you're playing every team and you at least get seven or eight games so even if you don't start well there's always an opportunity for you to come back into the tournament. But in this tournament, it's just really hard. You need to be really switched on. And no game is easy, or no team can be taken lightly. So yeah, That's how we've looked at things. And New Zealand has always been a very formidable team and very competitive team. They've done really well over the years. We've had a lot of, we’ve played against them a lot of times at ICC events as well. And they've done well against us. It's been quite even, the contest. So yeah, day after should be no different. I think it'll be another competitive game.
[Reporter:]
You just mentioned that there are no fitness concerns. But as a group, since there is very little turnaround time between the last group game and the semi-final. So, is there a temptation just to kind of rest a couple of players or probably test players who have been on the bench for the first two games, just keeping the turnaround time between the semi and the last group game in mind?
[KL Rahul:]
Yeah, look, luckily I am not in the leadership group to have to make that decision. But I am sure there will be some temptation and we have been in these positions before where if there is an opportunity where you can try out the players who haven't gotten games. They do get a game, but I don't know if that will happen in a Champions Trophy. And I don't know if that will happen in tomorrow's game. Because like you said, we only have one day's break before the semi-finals and we have gotten a six-day break now. So, we probably want all of the players to play the game and get a little bit of time in the middle. And this is my version. I don't know, it might be very different tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
I saw somewhere that you spoke about Shami being the most difficult bowler to face and to keep wicket. What is it that makes it difficult to keep to him or to fight against him? How far do you think he is away from his best if he is already not there?
[KL Rahul:]
The tough thing against Shammi to wicket keep is every game - funnily somehow, in every game he'll make sure that I'm diving full length. And then he gives me one or two opportunities to be brilliant behind the stumps or look stupid sometimes. Yeah, with wicket keeping I think how - like one of the few bowlers that the ball really wobbles him and sometimes Bumrah when he bowls in the second or third spell, I don't know what it has to do with anything, but he gets the ball to wobble behind the stump as well. So that's been very challenging. And yeah, I think as a bowler, he's very accurate. That's something that not many people talk about. Everyone talks about how he's gifted and how he can get the ball to seam in any condition and how upright his seam is. But not many people talk about how accurate he is and how sharp he is. He's actually, he can surprise you with his pace. Just the other day in the nets he hit me straight in the badge. So, all of these things make him a very difficult bowler to play against. And I think he's built up really nicely. It's really hard being away from the game and the injury that he had was - I was there in NCA for some time so and I had spoken to him and I know how difficult it has been but yeah, he's worked really hard, he stayed disciplined which is the hardest thing to do when you're injured and away from the game for so long. So really happy to have him back and I think he's very close to his best.
[Reporter:]
Considering that India has not done very well in Dubai in the past, what are your thoughts about India’s prospects?
[KL Rahul:]
Sir, honestly, I mean, at least for me, I have not thought about the things that have happened in the past and us not qualifying. And yeah, those are things that did affect us back then. And it wasn't a pleasant time for any of us players to not be in the semifinals or do well in big competitions. But I think we've learned from that, and in the last two or three ICC events, we've done really well. We've performed really well. So yeah, we're just taking it as it comes. We're not thinking about what happened in the past or the good things or the bad things just what's important is to stay in the present and the afters game is all we're thinking about and once that gets over then we'll think about semifinals and finals. And that's a good thing. I get the sense within the team that everyone's quite relaxed and quite balanced. And everyone's only thinking and talking about the game that is in front of us and not about winning semifinals or finals or any of that. We're just taking it one game at a time.
[Reporter:]
What is the challenge batting at number 5 or 6 on these pitches?
[KL Rahul:]
Yeah, the challenge like I just said on these wickets have been rotating the strike as soon as you go in against spinners or fast bowlers has been a little bit of a challenge. So, once those dot balls start to pile up on a batsman, obviously the pressure builds up and you have to play that big shot or you have to play really short. And that obviously gives the opposition and the bowlers an opportunity. So that has been the challenge. But we've all got a little bit of time in the middle. And we're trying to find ways to see how we can rotate the strike a lot more. We're all very happy hitting boundaries and scoring boundaries, but on this wicket that is very difficult. We have to make sure that the dot ball percentage is really less and then the risk that you take, the opportunities that you are going to take is suited for this type of wicket and against a certain bowler. So those are the talks that we are having within the batting group and see how we can move the fifth fielder around and that gives us opportunity to rotate the strike. But yeah, like I said, if the top order batters or the batters who are set can go on and get big runs, it just becomes easier for the number five, number six batters or lower order batters who go into bat will have a little less pressure.
[Reporter:]
Is it an impression that someone of Rishabh's talent is breathing down your neck or there is an upside that you have very little margin for error?
[KL Rahul:]
There is - I won't lie. I mean, he's obviously a very, very talented player and he's shown all of us what he can do and how aggressive and how quickly he can change the game. So yes, there's always the temptation for the team as well, whoever's the captain, the coach to - there's always that temptation to either play him or play me. There's always that. But yeah, for me, I just if I'm given the opportunity, I try and see what I can do best. I am not trying to compete with Rishabh or I am not trying to play like him or when he gets his opportunities I am sure he is not going to try to play like anybody else. He is picked on the basis of how he can play and what he can provide for the team and the same applies to me. So, I try and do what I do best and try and stick to my game.
[Reporter:]
You just spoke about the challenge of batting on the surfaces here. Is there a certain shot that is difficult to execute?
[KL Rahul:]
Yeah, like I just said, it's very individual again. We are having chats within the group and seeing whoever's batted a lot, Shubham's batted a lot on that wicket, Virat batted quite a lot in the last game, Shreyas has been there. So just to go and speak to them and see, I'm sure they've gone through that same challenge as someone like me, Hardik or Jaddu, when we walk in or Axar, when we walk in, it's harder for us. So just speaking to them and seeing what they did or wherever the areas they were trying to target, whether they were trying to target square of the wicket or play much straighter. So those are the kind of conversations you have and then it's very individual. You see what suits you best. Someone might like sweeping and reverse sweeping. Someone might like playing an aggressive shot straight down the ground or someone might like playing off the back foot. The plans always revolve around what the individual is good at and what their skill set is good at. So yeah, that's something that we talk about. And then we try and practice that, and then go in the middle, and then hopefully use that practice to good effect.
[Reporter:]
You batted pretty well in the first half but there have been times where perhaps you would have liked to bat faster. The World Cup finals was one such event where a lot of trolling had happened. How do you deal with that kind of trolling when it happens and people mention your strike rate and stuff?
[KL Rahul:]
Yeah, look, it's been there for quite a few years. I'm quite used to seeing it and hearing it and reading about it. Yeah, And sometimes I just sit back and see whether the criticism is valid and if, for instance, you've only written the same thing and if that makes for a good point or if what you're writing or saying is valid, given the game scenario, given what situation of the game I played in and how I played that innings, and if I go back and think, oh, okay I could have played a bit faster than that's something that I'll take into my training sessions next time and work on it and then get better.
Yeah, so again, that's not something that I try to think about when I go into a game that I need to up my strike rate or I need to play for what is being written or what is being spoken about me. I try and see what the best thing is for the team and for me to do in that scenario and I try and do that. And not always am I going to be right. I will fail sometimes, I will make mistakes, I will make mistakes in reading the game and that's the beauty of sport and for me if my heart is in the right place and if I am thinking that this is the best way for me to win the game, then I can go back home and sleep peacefully. But I mean, yes, I do read about it. And if it's valid, then I'll take into account.
[Reporter:]
In the nets usually for every shot you go consistently for big sixes. It doesn't necessarily mean that you're getting enough balls to face in the match. You got to bat in one match, didn't get a chance in the second match. For a player of your skill and your experience, is there like a - I don't know, there's no ideal situation in cricket. Is there an ideal zone where you would like to take what's happening in the nets into the match and have a set amount of overs to face or balls to face? Because you're batting in a very tough, often high-risk position number six?
[KL Rahul:]
I don't think anyone prepares for an ideal scenario. All of us prepare for a realistic scenario that we might walk in. And what is the scenarios that I might face most times and batting at number six now most times I might be walking in with eight overs to go ten overs to go twelve overs to go not more than that ideally not more than that if we batted really well so That's something that I've realized in the last six, seven months - I've moved from number five to number six and sometimes at number seven. So, I realized when I go in that that's something that I need to have that skill set to go in and be able to hit sixes probably from ball one or sometimes be able to play with a really high strike rate. That is the need of the hour. So that's why you see me practicing all of that. As soon as I go in, I challenge myself to see if I can hit a six of the first couple of deliveries or if I can hit boundaries. How many boundaries can I hit in the first 10 balls? Try and practice with an older ball. Try and practice on a slow pitch. That's more realistic to what I might get here. So that's what I try to do. And that's the only way you give yourself the best chance to succeed in a game and do what the team is expecting of you.
Yeah, if there's a different scenario that comes, if I walk in earlier, then I try and manage and adjust my game accordingly.
[Reporter:]
Virat has had a long career - how do you look at it? You’ve played a lot of ODI games alongside him.
[KL Rahul:]
No, that's a lot of ODI games and a lot of international games and yeah he's been I mean words fall short to express how good a player he's been and what a great servant of Indian cricket he’s been. Yeah really happy to see that he got the 100 last game as well, and he's been batting really well and for a player of his calibre it was about time that he scores that big century and a match-winning century. So yeah, it's a great place for us as a team to be in, where Rohit's in real good form, Shubman's in real good form, Virat is in real good form, Shreyas has played and done his part as well. He got a good 60 last game, and even against England he was striking the ball really well. So overall the team is looking really good and Virat is obviously a very important part of the team. Virat and Rohit, they are the senior players and you are always looking up to them to step up and score when the big games come. And that's what they've been able to do for so many years. So yeah, hopefully there's many more hundreds left for him and many more games of international cricket.
. At this rate we'll make it to the end of the Alphabet very soon.
India had to bat fresh in the morning intsead of same day.
and Tepiya.
