KL Rahul might have cemented his place in the Test and ODI teams for now, but there was a time when the sword was always hanging over his fate in international cricket. The right-handed batter has come into his own of late, but two to three years back, there were some who believed that the player from Karnataka had not done full justice to his talent. 2023 was a turning point in his career as he came back from a horrific injury in the Indian Premier League (IPL) season to stage a stellar return.
Rahul, who was ruled out of the IPL 2023 season after suffering a tear in his tendon, made his return in the Asia Cup, where India eventually won the tournament by beating Sri Lanka in the summit clash. Upon his return, Rahul made his intentions clear by smashing 111 runs off 106 balls with the help of 12 fours and 2 sixes against Pakistan in the Super 4s match in Colombo.
Upon bringing up the milestone off the bowling of Naseem Shah, Rahul soaked in the applause as he raised his bat in the air. Interestingly, he had his back towards the dressing room. More than two years later, the 33-year-old has finally spilt the beans on the celebration and how it left the then-coach Rahul Dravid upset.
Rahul revealed that he wasn't supposed to play the match against Pakistan as Shreyas Iyer was slated to start in the lineup. However, a back spasm led to Rahul eventually taking the place.
{{/usCountry}}Rahul revealed that he wasn't supposed to play the match against Pakistan as Shreyas Iyer was slated to start in the lineup. However, a back spasm led to Rahul eventually taking the place.
{{/usCountry}}"I'll tell you a story. So this was right after my injury. I was not supposed to play this game either. Shreyas Iyer was supposed to play, but he got a back spasm, and I ended up playing this game. For those four months, that I was out, through that hard phase, every morning I woke up and said the same thing, 'I'll be the best player in the world'," said KL Rahul on the ‘2 Sloggers’ Podcast.
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“I motivated myself. The dressing room was on this side, I turned my back to the dressing room and then this celebration. Rahul Dravid, the coach, got a little upset. 'Why did you turn your back on the dressing room?' I said, 'No sir, I meant no disrespect'. In the four to five months that I was out, I had a dream that there was a statue of me with me celebrating like that,” he added.
‘Very special’
Rahul, who was recently part of India's squad for the three-match series against Australia, said Dravid was left amused upon learning about this dream of a statue. However, the right-hander said that the knock against Pakistan will always be special to him.
"He said, 'Statue tera? Mera nahi bana, tera statue? (I don't have a statue, but you have?" This is why this is very special to me," said Rahul.
In the above-mentioned match against Pakistan, Virat Kohli also scored a century, and he, along with Rahul, formed a partnership of 233 runs for the third wicket. India eventually won the match by 228 runs.