Shut Out The Noise: KL Rahul On How He Deals With Criticism

KL Rahul, Indian and Kings XI Punjab opener, has seen a plethora of highs and lows in six-year-old international career thus far. The stylish batsman from Karnataka burst on the scene during the 2014-15 Test series in Australia, where after a disastrous outing in his debut Test at the MCG, he stormed back with a brilliant compiled 100 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Rahul enjoyed great success in Test cricket during the 2016-17 home season, where he not only registered his highest Test score [199 vs England in Chennai] but also played some great knocks on tough pitches during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

KL Rahul pipped Shikhar Dhawan as India’s first-choice opener but soon his technique was exposed during the 2018-19 overseas cycle where he was constantly troubled by the incoming delivery on seamer-friendly tracks. Rahul reached the nadir of his career during the 2018-19 tour of Australia where he was not only left out from the Test side but also from the white-ball teams due to the controversy surrounding his and Hardik Pandya’s comments on a popular chat show.

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‘I have always been determined to be the best version of myself’- KL Rahul

At a time when KL Rahul was facing immense criticism for both his off-field and on-field shenanigans, the opener decided to work on his technique. He called up his old friends and went to a secluded ground, where he batted for hours. His friend David Mathias observed his batting, recorded his videos, and advised him to refine his technique.

Rahul proceeded to watch his old and recent videos and soon he noticed a considerable difference in his bat swing. His bat swing was going away from his body, something he worked on diligently. And, the results were for everyone to see. Rahul enjoyed a great World Cup campaign in England and even though he struggled in Tests against the West Indies, his batting in white-ball cricket has been top-notch in the past 12 months.

Needless to say, KL Rahul is a determined personality, someone who isn’t bothered with all the noise surrounding his performances. His sole focus is to be the best version of himself. The KXIP captain alluded to the same in a recent video posted on his Twitter timeline.

“No matter what I am doing. I have always been determined to be the best version of myself, physically and mentally. Shut out the noise. Doubts? Question marks? We all face them, and I am no different. But what matters is how we react to them,” KL Rahul said.

Watch the video here-