India opener KL Rahul has often been overshadowed by the in-form Rohit Sharma, who is batting majestically and piling on huge scores during this World Cup. However, the 27-year-old said it wouldn't anyway be prudent to try and emulate the gifted Mumbaikar's ways, and he is certainly not going down that route ever.
"You would be a fool to be tempted to bat like Rohit because he is in a different class. He is on a different planet altogether when he gets going," Rahul was quoted as saying by IANS after his 180-run opening partnership with fourth-time centurion Rohit (104) helped India defeat Bangladesh by 28 runs in Birmingham on Tuesday (July 2).
"He made it look really easy when really it wasn't anything of the kind. The pitch was two-paced, up and down, not coming on to the bat, but from the way he played, you would not have known."
"We expect it from him and he is delivering every time. To bat with him is really easy because he takes the pressure off you. He keeps getting the boundaries and the scoreboard keeps ticking, I just have to keep there with him. It is great fun."
"He has scored the most runs for the team, but everyone else has chipped in and we have talked about that as a team, to keep the contributions coming from the middle order and at the death,"
Rahul himself scored 77 on the day and now aggregates 249 runs at 41.50, including two half-centuries this World Cup.
"Personally, I feel I have been going well, but am not fully satisfied as I haven't carried on after some of the starts. When I say 'convert', I mean getting to, say, 35 or 45 overs as often as I can because in these conditions it is the set batsmen who can do the most damage," he said.
The victory over Bangladesh sealed India's place in the semi-finals.
"We did enjoy a bit of a celebration after the game. We are two steps away from winning the trophy and that has been a dream we have worked towards for the past four years."
"We put in a clinical performance, we batted and bowled well, and we have this winning momentum. Now we have to make sure we keep our heads up and our eyes on what is happening," Rahul concluded.
