KL Rahul revealed that he had hoped to open the innings for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing IPL season, but opted to play as per the team’s needs instead after a chat with head coach Hemang Badani.
In his debut match for DC, Rahul scored 15 off 5 balls while batting at No. 4 against Sunrisers Hyderabad last Sunday (March 30).
On Saturday (April 5), Rahul was asked to open the innings in the absence of Faf du Plessis, who was ruled out due to a niggle, against Chennai Super Kings. The right-hander didn’t let his team management down as he slammed 77 off 51 balls on a two-paced Chepauk wicket.
Rahul’s knock propelled DC to 183/6 in 20 overs - a total that proved too much for the Super Kings, who lost the match by 25 runs.
"I was personally prepping to play at the top of the order before the IPL started. I had a chat with the coach, and he said he wanted me to bat at No. 4 because we had a player who didn't turn up. I was happy that I got the opportunity today at the top of the order," Rahul said at the post-game presentation after receiving the Player-of-the-Match award.
KL Rahul has never shied away from adapting to different roles in the batting order. While he has found stability at No. 5 in India's ODI setup, the wicketkeeper-batter has consistently adjusted his position across formats to serve the team's needs
"It's just how it's been. I am quite used to it. It's more mental, and the pattern and process of getting in. Just getting used to walking in at a particular stage. I like to get used to doing the same thing. Since I've been going up and down the order, it takes me a few minutes to get used to it. That's something I've been working on - to not take those two or three balls. I started off really well, but through the middle, it was a bit scratchy," he added.
Chasing 184 to win, the hosts got off to a terrible start, losing their top-three batters for just 41 runs. Rachin Ravindra (3), Devon Conway (13) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) failed to make a mark in the powerplay. The likes of Shivam Dube (18) and Ravindra Jadeja (2) were also dismissed cheaply as CSK found themselves reeling at 74/5.
While Vijay Shankar (69* off 54) tried to resurrect the innings, he didn’t get enough support as the asking rate kept on climbing. Veteran wicketkeeper MS Dhoni struggled for most part of his unbeaten 30-run knock off 26 balls as CSK’s innings was eventually restricted to 158/5 in 20 overs.
