New Delhi, Apr 23: India Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara feels KL Rahul has moved on from a disappointing last season at Lucknow Super Giants and the change in mindset is not only helping him flourish at his new IPL franchise but also making him a strong asset for the national team.
Rahul hit his third fifty of the season to take his mew team Delhi Capitals to a commanding eight-wicket win against his former franchise LSG in Lucknow on Tuesday.
“Just move on, don’t carry any baggage from the past. And that’s a good thing. KL is a mature player. Last couple of years, he’s been batting well across formats,” Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut.
“He doesn’t want to think about the past and wants to enjoy his batting and be in his zone, rather than think about what went wrong when he was playing for the LSG team.
“It’s good to move on, which will also help him play well for DC and even for the Indian team. Because, lately, he is someone the India team also relies on, the way he’s batting.”
Under Rahul’s captaincy LSG had reached the play-offs in 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, the Lucknow outfit finished seventh last season.
Rahul’s relationship with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka also deteriorated last year. In a video that went viral on social media, Goenka was seen publicly reprimanding the former Lucknow captain after a defeat.
A few months later, the 33-year-old was released by the franchise ahead of the mega auctions.
At DC, the wicketkeeper batter, one of the most consistent players in the IPL, has emerged as the leading run scorer this season, scoring 323 runs in seven innings.
“Even as a person, he looks a lot more mature now, he understands his game very well. We have seen a different KL Rahul this season. When he started (against LSG), he didn’t look that (fluid), but still he picked it up,” Pujara said.
Former England opener Nick Knight added that the absence of captaincy responsibilities may also be contributing to Rahul’s freedom with the bat.
“Captaincy can do funny things to you – sometimes you thrive on it, sometimes it’s a burden. Whether that’s had any impact, of not being captain now, just being free and being able to play the match situation,” Knight said.
“We’ve got this obsession in cricket that the best player has to be captain. That’s not always the case, is it? I’m not saying that’s the case with KL Rahul, or even Rishabh Pant, but he’s batting with so much freedom and looks relaxed in the crease.” (PTI)
