Playing so many matches every month is hard on the body: KL Rahul

KL Rahul has said that playing matches for India at a stretch can take a toll on the body. In the last one month, the Men in Blue have taken part in seven T20Is, including five in New Zealand, and three ODIs against Australia. Rahul stated that amidst the chock-a-block schedule, it becomes hard to keep oneself physically and mentally fit for delivering consistent performances on the field.

Before the five-match series against the Black Caps, even Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper, threw light on the same. The captain said that the cricketers are “getting closer and closer to landing at the stadium and playing straight”. And now the Karnataka-born Rahul has put forth the difficulties.

“Every month we have been playing so many games. It is hard on the body so we have been working hard, to stay mentally and physically fit to keep putting up performances like this,” Rahul was quoted as saying in the post-match press-conference.

We have a common goal, says KL Rahul

India won the T20I series on New Zealand 5-0 after their seven-wicket victory at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. It was India’s third successive series win in 2020 after beating Sri Lanka and the Aussies at home. Rahul admitted the challenging times over the last few months, but also said that staying calm under pressure has been their ‘biggest takeaway’.

“Every time we have been challenged and pushed, and played some really competitive teams. We have always stayed calm, that’s been the biggest takeaway. Previously we had series where we would win the series and not be challenged. But the last few series have been really challenging for us,” Rahul mentioned.

Speaking about honing his skills under Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri, Rahul said, “It’s phenomenal, it is a coach’s and captain’s dream, playing and working like this. We have a common goal as I said and we are working towards it.”

Rahul became the Player of the Series after he ended the series as the leading run-getter. Rahul notched 224 runs at an average of 56 with match-winning half-centuries at the Eden Park in Auckland. Moreover, in all the five games, he was the preferred keeper ahead of Rishabh Pant, who didn’t get to play a single match in the series.