Competition for opener’s slot good for Indian Cricket : KL Rahul

India opener KL Rahul, who had to miss the one-off Test in Bangladesh due to  dengue fever, feels that healthy competition for the opener’s spot with Shikhar Dhawan is a good sign for Indian cricket. It is a good headache to have for the Indian selectors and the captain.

KL Rahul’s forced absence in Fatullah allowed Dhawan to return to the top of the order. He made the most of the opportunity, scoring his third Test century in whites.  M Vijay has certainly cemented his spot and therefore it could well be a toss-up again between him and Dhawan for the second opener’s slot when India play their next Test match.

“Shikhar has done well in the last couple of years. I took his spot and he has got it back. I am really happy for him as he batted well. He has been doing well in all formats, and even in Australia I felt he was batting well. We would want competition like that. Even if he would not have got those runs in Bangladesh, he was always going to be there as he has done so well for the country. We have a good relationship and we play for the same IPL team. So we talk a lot about batting and he has always helped me.”

KL Rahul has recovered from dengue and is now training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He says the main focus for him ahead of the next international season is to get “fitter and stronger.”

“I’ll take it one match at a time and don’t want to think too far ahead and put pressure on myself,” he said. “Definitely, it is a good opportunity as all the (upcoming) Test matches are in India or the subcontinent where the conditions are batting friendly. It will be challenging because we will play good international sides. I have used this time away to work on my skills where I was lacking and looking to get better and do well in the Test matches coming ahead.”

Having finished among the leading run-scorers in the Ranji Trophy over the last couple of seasons, Rahul has been considered only for Test cricket so far. Although he averages over 41 in his 28 List A (50-over games), his T20 record is pretty ordinary. In the IPL, Rahul has scored 328 runs in his 25 matches and many people feel that hes just meant for the longer format of the game.

“I did really well in my first year of domestic one day cricket,” Rahul said. “I was among the top-three run-getters and I enjoy playing the shorter format of the game. I am still young and new to international cricket and there is a lot to learn. Shorter formats are something I’m working on. I am sure that the confidence that I get from scoring a lot of runs in four-day cricket can be carried over to the shorter formats and I’m confident that I can be successful there like I have been in days cricket and Test matches.”

Rahul would now look to get his feet moving to his liking again and the ball to find the middle of the bat consistently and later shift towards specific skills training. Rahul is optimistic about the future and feels that there is no point in looking at what was unfortunate and move on  hoping for the best in the future.

“As a player, you just have to tell yourself that there are better things to come,” he says. “Keep yourself motivated and look to the next season and score more runs.”