Former India opener Wasim Jaffer lavished rich praise on India keeper-batter and Test vice-captain KL Rahul for his amazing talent and batting quality. He even called Rahul on par with legendary teammate Virat Kohli but also pointed out one thing that has made the Karnataka batter different.
Jaffer revealed intriguing behind-the-scenes details from his tenure with the Punjab Kings of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Reflecting on his time spent coaching legendary players like Chris Gayle and KL Rahul, Jaffer talked candidly about managing big-ticket players.
He emphasized how Rahul's raw skill is on par with the best while underlining the slight mental edge that sets modern superstars apart from decent hitters.
Rahul can score many more runs for India and his team, according to Jaffer, who hailed him as a technically talented and calm all-format player. Rahul is on par with Virat Kohli in terms of talent and quality, he said, but Kohli has an advantage due to his superior mindset.
"KL is a top-class player who plays all three formats remarkably well. Technically sound, composed, and level-headed. Even though he is still actively playing, I believe he has somewhat underachieved given his skill set. He can score so many more runs for both India and his franchise. In terms of pure talent and quality, I genuinely believe he is at par with Virat Kohli, but it is Virat's elite mentality that creates that ultimate separation between KL and Virat,” Jaffer said on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.
Jaffer also praised Chris Gayle's professionalism during his stint with the Punjab Kings, stating that the seasoned batter was extremely proud of his efforts. He mentioned that Gayle was initially snubbed at the auction before being selected by Punjab in the final round, which may have prompted him to prove his worth.
Despite his laid-back demeanour, Jaffer said Gayle stayed tremendously motivated and produced a season of 500-600 runs for the franchise.
"When we worked with Chris Gayle, we could see how much pride he took in his game. Before Punjab picked him up, he had played for RCB for a very long time, and then came an auction where no one picked him initially until Punjab stepped in during the final round. For a player of his stature, I feel his ego was slightly hurt by being picked in the last round. But he channelled that and went on to score 500 to 600 runs for Punjab that season. Behind that super chilled-out persona, he was an absolute professional who knew there was money riding on him and that he had to deliver,” Jaffer added.
(IANS inputs)
