Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was highly impressed with the superior version of KL Rahul after the star wicketkeeper-batter guided Team India to a 6-wicket win over Australia in their opening match in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Chennai.
Rahul played a remarkable knock of 97* and added 165 runs with Virat Kohli (85) to help the Men in Blue successfully chase down the 200-run target on the tricky pitch at Chepauk Stadium in their first CWC 2023 match against Australia on October 8.
After India got a winning start at the Cricket World Cup 2023, former Indian all-rounder Pathan highlighted a remarkable transformation in Rahul, who now appears to embrace the pressure, unlike in the past. He was also impressed with the way Rahul played powerful shots and employed the sweep shot to great effect against Australia in Chennai.
Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports: “He has been looking very calm. He does not seem like the Rahul who used to take pressure as before, now he looks like he is soaking that pressure, and it can be seen in the result. And because of that, he does not even seem like he is going to get out while he is batting.”
He added, “He is getting beaten less, that does not mean one does not get beaten. There seems to be control, he is finding the singles, playing the big shots, he is also using the sweep shots, seems to be having a lot of time while pulling the ball. He has worked a lot on his technique, but most importantly he looks like a much better version of himself than before.”
Meanwhile, Pathan also lauded Virat Kohli and said that his knock in Chennai was one of the best because of all the pressure and how he played according to the situation against Australia.
The former cricketer said, “It has happened many times that Virat Kohli has played such knocks, where wickets have fallen, and wickets are continuously happening to fall at the other end. He was still able to put pressure back on to the bowlers, and that is why he is regarded as one of the all-time modern masters of the game.”
He signed off by saying, “But playing according to the pitch, according to the expectations set for the first game of the World Cup, and the way pressure had also been built up around the match, is why I would consider this to be truly one of his best knocks.”
(With TOI/ANI Inputs)
