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'Was confident Prasidh Krishna's going to be the next player to come out of Karnataka': KL Rahul
KL Rahul, who has played with Prasidh Krishna and also captained him while playing for Karnataka, said he has followed his growth as a cricketer closely. The best part according to Rahul is Prasidh's ability to bowl quick.
KL Rahul said he was ‘very confident’ that Prasidh Krishna was always going to be the next big thing to come out of Karnataka and play for India.
Rahul’s comments came in the pre-match press conference ahead of the 2nd India vs England ODI in Pune on Friday.
"Look, quite honestly, I am not surprised with what he (Prasidh) did yesterday (Tuesday). I was always very confident that the next player that is going to come out of Karnataka, is going to be Prasidh," said Rahul.
Rahul, who has played a lot of cricket with Krishna and also captained him while playing for Karnataka, said he has followed his growth as a cricketer closely.
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"We weren't of the same batch, but I have watched him play a lot of junior cricket and in the nets, he is somebody, who will catch your eye," Rahul said.
Krishna, who made his ODI debut for India in the first match against England, made his maiden appearance a memorable one by producing the best-ever performance by an India bowler on ODI debut.
Krishna returned with figures of 4 for 54 and helped India bowl England out cheaply.
The best part according to Rahul is Prasidh's ability to bowl quick.
"(He is a) tall guy (who) bowls quick, gets a lot of bounce from the wicket, and something having played with him in the last couple of seasons for Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare, I realised that he is a brave boy."
Rahul is also impressed by his game sense.
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"He has a great sense of the game, it's not just his skill but how he understands and reads the game. He is a very keen learner and he is, like I said, very brave and comes in with a lot of aggression," Rahul said.
Rahul is confident that Prasidh will be a great asset for Indian cricket if he keeps on working hard.
"We saw in the last game, he was trying to have a word or two with the batsmen and he enjoys being in a contest and that's is something I love, about him," Rahul said.
"....and I am so happy to see that he is carrying on the same thing and he wasn't overwhelmed by the place he is in, playing his first game for the country, I am sure there will be lot of nerves
"but the way he came back after the first three overs, got those crucial wickets, so these are the qualities that a player and as a team, a lot of us are impressed with, what he has done."
For Rahul, the manner in which each newcomer has performed in this series can be attributed to consistent show in the domestic cricket for years.
"I think a huge part is the IPL and the confidence that these boys come in with. And whoever has coming into the team, is not because they have performed in one season of the IPL or one season of first-class cricket but it has been 2-3 years of consistent performances and at whatever level they play, or wherever they play," said Rahul, who captains the Punjab Kings, in the T20 league.
(With PTI inputs)
