“Had just taken a shower”: KL Rahul reveals that he couldn’t catch breathe as India were 2-3 .

India’s middle-order batsman KL Rahul delivered a spectacular performance, scoring an unbeaten 97 runs, and played a pivotal role in India’s first victory of the 2023 ODI World Cup against Australia in Chennai on Sunday.

Partnering with Virat Kohli, who contributed 85 runs, Rahul forged an outstanding 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket, steering India to successfully chase down the 200-run target with 52 balls to spare.

Nonetheless, the initial phase of India’s chase was far from straightforward, with the team losing three wickets for just 2 runs in the first two overs. Rahul, who had previously kept wickets for 50 overs and was catching his breath, had to quickly step in as three of India’s top-order batsmen were dismissed without scoring. With India struggling at 2 for 3 at the beginning of their innings, Rahul and Kohli displayed exceptional resilience, rescuing the team from a precarious situation.

Kl Rahul after winning player of the match award said “I had just taken a shower and was hoping to put my feet up for half an hour after the fielding innings. Was just trying to get my breath back but had to come in.”

Reflecting on their partnership, Rahul shared that Kohli had advised him to adapt his approach to the wicket conditions, suggesting that they should initially play with a style reminiscent of Test cricket to stabilize the innings.

There weren’t a lot of conversations with Kohli. Virat said there’s a bit in the wicket, so play like Test cricket for a while.”