Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli recalled one of the players who became a beast in six months at RCB. According to him, KL Rahul completely changed himself while playing for the franchise. Rahul had joined RCB in 2013 before being roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 1 crore for the next two editions. But he returned to the Bangalore-based franchise in 2016 and scored 397 runs in 14 games.
Talking about the two players he has come across in the league as the best transforming stories, he picked Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal. However, he was pleased with the way Rahul changed as a batter.
“The only two people who come to mind for me are KL (Rahul) and Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal). KL Rahul was at RCB in 2013 before he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad. Our manager Avinash Vaidya, who was in touch with KL, approached me as Rahul was not getting any game time in Hyderabad,” said Kohli on ‘The RCB Podcast.”
Kohli admitted that the two were never close after Rahul left the franchise to join Punjab Kings in 2018, but he kept a track record of his performance.
“He was very young when he first joined RCB. I had seen him playing in Australia and was impressed with his shot selection and confidence,” said Kohli.
“He was playing for the Sunrisers after leaving RCB and wasn’t getting many opportunities. I thought this guy was talented, and bringing him back to RCB would be good for him. Playing in front of the home crowd and getting tips from me, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle would be crucial for him,” he added.
Rahul averaged 44.11 in the 2016 season with a strike rate of 146.49 with four half-century scores. “He changed completely and became a beast in six months. The way he batted that season, for me, was a big transformation for a player.” Rahul will lead Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022.