Leg-spinner by chance,Rahul

Soon after making his debut in the 2006-07,he was forced to sit out until this season with a meniscal tear to his knee. “The injury kept me out for more than two years. It is great to get my first five wicket haul in Ranji Trophy,” Rahul told Sportline. “It hasn’t been an easy journey,but I always had confidence in my ability. The support around me has also been great. For the last two years I worked on my fitness and my bowling,now my hardwork is paying off,” he added.

The 23-year old started out as a fast bowler at the under-14 level. But lack of success prompted him to switch over to leg-spin. “I was not as tall as I am today when I was younger. As soon as I became a leggie,I claimed a five wicket haul in my inter-college match and I decided to stick with it,” Rahul said.

Rahul’s six-for against Railways has almost assured Punjab of a place in the last eight. “Fazal’s wicket was crucial to us,but I enjoyed getting Bangar out the most. The ball behaved exactly the way I wanted it to. All I did was to concentrate on my line and length and the wickets kept tumbling. It was a good feeling,” he said.

Rahul is no mug with the bat either. As a night-watchman he scored a crucial 95 against Gujarat,helping the team win with a bonus point. “I give importance to my batting at the nets too,but for now,all I want to do is scalp more wickets and help Punjab win the Ranji Trophy.”