KL Rahul during the press conference
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul on Friday looked absolutely clueless when he was posed a question in the post-match presser on Rishabh Pant's selection in the ongoing New Zealand T20I series. The press conference was held after India's six-wicket win in Auckland against New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
A journalist asked Rahul--"Do you see Pant coming back into the side and playing in this series?"
Looking clueless, Rahul replied, "It's not upto me, I mean..."
Rahul has recently been named as India's new wicketkeeper-batsman in limited-overs cricket, replacing Pant and he relishes playing at the position as he feels it improves his batting.
"I’m quite honestly loving it. At the international stage, it might seem very new and it might seem like I’ve never kept. (But) I’ve kept for my IPL franchise for the last 3-4 years, and I’ve kept for my first-class team as and when there is an opening. I’ve still stayed in touch with wicket keeping.
"I enjoy staying behind the stumps and it also gives me a great idea about how the pitch is playing, and I can pass on that message to the bowlers and the captains with field-sets and everything. As a keeper, that’s also your responsibility to stay active and pass the message on to your captain as to what lengths are better and what I feel we can do better," he added.
Rahul was, however, the Man of the Match in the opener at the Eden Park with his blistering 56 that helped India keep the run rate well over 10. He stitched a crucial and match-winning 99-run stand along with skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 45 runs, to guide India to a stable position before Shreyas Iyer did the finishing act with his fiery half-century.
