KL Rahul was injured during the India-Australia Test series. (Source: Reuters)
After missing out on three months with a shoulder injury and spending countless hours at the National Cricket Academy on his rehabilitation process, KL Rahul is back in business. The opener missed out on the Indian Premier League, ICC Champions Trophy and the tour to West Indies but is back in action for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.
On his return back in action, Rahul said after a preparatory game in Sri Lanka, that he hasn’t been happier in his life. “I haven’t been more happier ever in my life. It has been quite a tough time to be away from cricket, to be away from the thing that you love the most. To just sit at home and watch the boys playing, it was really hard for me. It did make me a lot stronger, made me value my life, my opportunities and here I am, back in,” Rahul said in an interview to BCCI.
“It feels good to be back holding the bat and hitting the ball to the boundary. It was a good day today for the boys and I had a good hit out in the middle. And it has been a while since I have been in the middle. So yes, every opportunity that I get in the middle before the Test series starts will be valuable for me. I tried to make the most of it and I am very happy.”
Talking about his rehabilitation time, Rahul said, “Watching the Champions Trophy and the loss in the final was heart-breaking but the way the boys played the whole tournament was really exciting. I was missing being part of the team. So, rehab basically for me is possibly the most boring thing you can ever do, most honestly. Just wake up every morning and to do the same boring thing again and again is quite tiring and it starts to get to you. You start questioning yourself, asking yourself if you really want to do all these boring things. You chose a sport that is exciting and challenges you every day and here you are, waking up and doing boring things.”
Tagging it as the biggest challenge, the 25-year-old opener said, “I woke up and there was something that pushed me to go to the gym, go to the physio, go through the painful process, needling and then pushing my shoulder. It was quite tough but it is part of a sportsman’s life and part of our career. It’s good that things like this happened to me early and I am hoping for an injury-free career going forward. The surgeon and the physio were really happy that I could come back in three months. They were expecting me to come back a lot later but I did pay a lot of attention to my rehab. I was very disciplined and very eager to get back to the team as soon as I could. I didn’t want to miss out on any more matches.”
Talking about his practice sessions now that he is back with the squad, Rahul said, “Honestly, I have had only like three net sessions before I have come here, so I haven’t had a lot of practice or skill-time. I am just coming with a fresh mind and we do have 3-4 days before the Test match starts, so I will make the most of it. I played a practice match in Bangalore before I came here and had a few net sessions before I travelled with the team. That has given me a little bit of confidence and like I said, it is mostly me fighting my doubts and fears in my head more than anything else.”
“I am very very excited and happy to be back. I am a little bit nervous too because I am coming back after a long time. I just want to go out there, enjoy myself, take every opportunity and every day as it comes, try to do my best and that’s what my mantra has been all the time. I will play fearless cricket and see what the team requires of me and how I can do it to my best,” he added.
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