Confident this IPL will change the way people look at me: KL Rahul

Centurion in only his second Test in Australia, KL Rahul of Sunrisers Hyderabad tells Rutvick Mehta he is looking forward to the IPL 8 challenge.

This will be your second season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Does it help your confidence that they picked you again in the auction?
Yes, definitely. The comfort levels are very high. It's like coming back home to family. They know me, and I know how they work. So it's very easy, whereas when you go to a new franchise you tend to take a couple of weeks to get to know the players and the team environment. Sunrisers Hyderabad is a wonderful team to be in.

Last season wasn't quite great for the team as well as for you personally in terms of runs. You must be itching to make a bigger impact this time around...
Yes, of course. As a player you're never satisfied with your performances. You always want to come back stronger in the next year and be more consistent. It also helps if the team gets consistent and maybe even wins the tournament. I learnt a lot from last season and went back and worked very hard on my game. I can't wait for the IPL to start now. It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm going to go there, enjoy myself and play with a lot of freedom. I know that the team has a lot of faith in me and they showed that in the last year as well. So I guess it's time for me to put in some good performances for the team.

You've played two Tests in Australia. How much of a difference will that make coming into this season?
Playing international cricket and having to face that kind of pressure, it will definitely help. I will be a lot calmer batting this season. But again, this is a different format to what I played (in Australia). Playing in India in front of big crowds against some brilliant teams will be challenging. And I'm looking forward to that challenge.

That century in Sydney was a brilliant comeback after a forgettable first Test. What have you learnt from your time with the Indian team?
I've learnt that whatever format you play, wherever you play and against whichever team, the game remains the same. It depends on your mentality and how you look at the game. If your preparation and mental make-up doesn't change, then it's just the same game. With the way you have been performing in domestic cricket, it's just that slight comfort level and the confidence level that you take ahead. Obviously that hundred in Sydney has helped me tremendously. I've come back a much stronger and a much more confident player.

There's always a risk of you being branded as a 'Test cricketer'. Does that bother you?
It just motivates me to get better and do better in the other formats. Being branded as a good Test cricketer is definitely a very good thing for a player, it's a confidence booster for me. I know that I have the skills. So I don't see any reason why a player who does well in Test cricket can't do well in the other formats. It's just about the confidence. One good game in a T20 or a one-dayer can change the way you think, and I'm very confident that this IPL season will change the way people look at me.

Having VVS Laxman as Sunrisers' mentor must've helped you a lot, isn't it?
It's been really, really good. Honestly speaking, I learnt a lot from VVS Laxman last season. He worked a lot on my batting. We have a similar batting style, if I could say so. We both are tall, we stay upright on the crease, we like to play on the up. So he understood my game really well. I was always spending time with him, and he was sharing his experiences with me. More than the technicality of the game, the preparation and the way he would bat in different situations and how that thought process helped him succeed in international cricket have been of great value to me. Those kind of things that he shared really helped me. I was in touch with him throughout in Australia, and whatever advice and whatever talks that I had with Laxman sir helped a lot. The ideas that he gave me, I tried my best to put it into work and it gave me success. So I'm very happy and lucky that I got a chance to work with Laxman sir. I'll do that again this year and try and improve my batting.

The Sunrisers have David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan, two of the most explosive batsmen at the top. How do you see your role in the batting line-up, and have you set any goals this season?
I'm just looking to go out there and enjoy myself, play fearlessly. T20 is a game where situations change every ball, so you can't really go in with a set plan. You have to just go out there and assess the situation and see what best you can do to help your team, and try and win such situations. That's about it. And well, we wear an orange cap (team cap) already, so it will be nice if I could get the other orange cap (given to the IPL highest scorer) as well. It will go with my team jersey, so it will be nice (smiles).

Finally, playing under Warner would be fun...
I honestly feel Warner is going to do really well as captain. He's in good form, and he's been getting a lot of runs. He will definitely bring a lot of aggression, seriousness and positivity in the team and there's a lot that youngsters can learn from David. He's been a wonderful person to have in the dressing room, he's always chirpy and always talkative. So he brings in a lot of energy in the dressing room. I'm very sure he's going to do a great job, and we have a very good balance in the team this time. So it should be a very good IPL for us.