KL Rahul gained all the attention but for the wrong reason after attending a celebrity chat show with Hardik Pandya.
From his tattooed body to his style of batting, KL Rahul's life has been nothing less than a sea-saw. The batsman gained all the attention but for the wrong reason after attending a celebrity chat show with Hardik Pandya.
He even gained limelight when talks about his dating life were given more importance than his cricketing life.
He, however, overcame the backlash and was a part of the Indian World Cup squad where he played at the critical No. 4 spot to even opened batting after Shikhar Dhawan was injured.
In a telephonic chat with Bombay Times, the cricketer spoke about his career, India’s World Cup semifinal defeat, the Karan Johar controversy and his friendship with Hardik Pandya.
Read to know more:
1. The Karan Johar’s chat show controversy
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On being asked about the chat show and did it remind him that he needs to be more politically correct on a public platform, KL Rahul said, "I won’t lie. I was bitter for a bit; it affected and bothered me a lot. I was angry, but I came out of it all as a more accepting person. I understood that certain things are sensitive, and no matter what you do, certain people will find the bad in you.
"It was important that I spoke about it with those close to me, and I was happy to be in my little bubble — friends and cricket. And when I am not playing cricket, I switch off from the world and spend time with real people. I have learnt to keep my personal life to myself and not make it a thing to talk or gossip about".
When asked what was the biggest learning from the controversy, the batsman said, "It taught me that you need to be aware of your surroundings and how certain things can come across as sensitive to certain people. There’s a lot I learnt as a person. I need to focus more on cricket, spend more time in the gym, on the field — practising and training. It made me more focussed on my profession and what I really need to do.
"As I told you before, cricket is the only thing I am good at and there’s nothing else I can do to survive, so I need to give it all I have. I am way too into it, I can’t have a plan B now. I am 27 years old".
2. On friendship with Hardik Pandya after Koffee row
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When asked if would the backlash be the same if a celebrity had said the same thing, Rahul replied saying, "I do understand that there were these things that we could have avoided (on the show). If I could undo, I would go back and undo those things, but I can’t. What’s happened has happened. We have learnt from it. I can speak for myself. It has made me a better man and has put me in a better space. I went through a lot emotionally and it was tough for me in the first few months to even get out of the house and speak to people.
"I didn’t feel confident enough as I wondered what to say. I didn’t want to talk about it or seek sympathy. It made me uncomfortable as I had never been in a position like that. Things happened and I didn’t really know the reason or couldn’t tell as to why we faced what we did, but I understood later that you need to be more careful about what you say.
When asked if the controversy did any damage to his friendship with Hardik, KL Rahul responded saying, "It was hard for both of us. We did speak to each other about it while this whole process was on (investigation). He was with his family and friends and I was with my people.
"We switched off from the outside world for those few weeks. We learnt from the situation, accepted it, and now we are back to being good friends. We literally spend 300 days together... travelling and playing cricket. Hardik is still a good friend and we enjoy each other’s company".
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3. On Shikhar Dhawan's injury and KL Rahul to open at World Cup
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Shikhar Dhawan’s injury put him as an opener after going into the WC as a No. 4 batsman. When asked about the sudden change, Rahul said, "The whole game plan had to change for me a little bit, but opening the batting is what I have done all my life. The first game that I got to open was India vs Pakistan, so it is bound to affect the nerves and you will be under pressure.
"Obviously, I knew that there was a lot more responsibility on me as Rohit and Shikhar are a deadly combination (opening pair), and they have done so well for the team all these years. After Shikhar had to leave owing to an injury, it was on Rohit and me. He was already in tremendous form, so I had to make sure that I play my part. It wasn’t unnerving, but yes, my game plan had to be changed as I was prepared to bat at No. 4 for a month. I had to understand batting at a different position. It was challenging, but I was happy with whatever my contributions were in the WC".
With you opening and Rishabh Pant playing at No. 4 position, the middle order kept crumbling, did the change bother the team? Rahul said, "Every batsman plays an important part in a team, but the middle order plays a crucial role, especially when you travel abroad and play in different conditions. It’s important that the middle order steadies the ship and takes the team through. No. 4 and No. 5 are key positions. They are as important as the openers.
"We always felt that whoever batted there was capable enough to perform for the team, for the country. Sometimes it’s not about a certain individual. The pressure of the WC can get to you and it can happen to anybody. Irrespective of the position that you have played at before or whether it is new, sometimes the pressure is different and you don’t perform.
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"In the dressing room, we always believe that whoever is in the 15-member team are all capable. We support each other and have a belief in each other. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t cross the final hurdle, but the camaraderie, understanding and belief in the team was always there".
4. On being considered as one of the favourites to win the Cup to losing in semi-finals
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When asked about India’s top order (Rahul, Virat and Rohit) collapsing against New Zealand, Rahul said, "It’s not a pleasant feeling. I don’t want to go back, but if I could rewind, I would want to go back and make India 5 for no loss. My partnership with Rohit was good; we were giving the team a good start, so it was very disappointing that we couldn’t do it in that game.
"What’s more disappointing is that Rohit was in the form of his life and sometimes I steadied the team, too. We had a great partnership going and the other players would come in and play their roles, too. It’s important for an opener to play those initial overs well so the middle order batsmen can capitalise and make sure we are on the winning side. It’s still disappointing when I look back and think about 5/3.
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"Of course, we (the top order) were disappointed, but we still knew that there were four-five really good batsmen in the team and the lower order would contribute, so we had the belief that we could win. I guess it was one of those games where if a little bit of luck had gone our way, we would have been on the other (winning) side, but at the end of the day, it’s a sport and you don’t always get it your way".
5. On facing criticism
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When asked how he deals with such criticism, the batsman said, "I don’t really read things that are written about me. They may be good or bad things. It does not mean I am off social media, or I don’t read newspapers at all, but if I see that it’s about me, I try and avoid it. I know where I stand as an individual and a cricketer, so I know what my strengths and weaknesses are.
"I know when I haven’t performed to the best of my ability or when I have let myself and my team down. I am strong enough to take it, look at myself in the mirror, criticising myself and think about which direction I need to head in and what I need to do to get better and consistent. I don’t read about the criticism, but I obviously get to know about it through my friends. It is something that you learn not to overthink.
"Also, you can take it in a positive way. You might learn something from it. I doubt if anyone wants to put you down for no reason. There might be something that you are not doing right, and more often than not, it could be true. We are human, too, so we are allowed to make mistakes and they are allowed to write about it. I am not somebody who takes it badly. I don’t break my head over it".
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What about talking about criticism and confronting it, the Karnataka batsman said, "People are allowed to have an opinion and write whatever they wish to. Anybody can sit behind a computer or phone and write what they want to. I don’t see how that’s going to change my life.
"I love my own little space, where I spend time with my family, people I love and close friends, so I don’t seek validation from everyone who will have an opinion on me. I don’t sit around waiting for people to like me or write good things about me. I know who I am and where I come from. I can look at myself and tell if I am doing something wrong and if that needs to be changed.
"If I am behaving badly, I need to work on it myself. People who have been close to me since the time I was nothing, will also tell me if I am doing something wrong. Their opinion matters to me more than people who don’t know me".
6. Life after Koffee row
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When asked about how his female friends are attacked on Instagram for distracting his game, he said, "The good thing about Twitter and Instagram is that only the people you follow, their comments appear on top, and I just read those.
"I don’t scroll down to read all the other stuff. What’s scary is when you see college kids and school kids abusing you. They write whatever they wish to, and that is scary. How the younger generation tends to think or the language they use, that does affect you".
What about Karan Johar often telling people to ‘leave you alone’ on Instagram, KL said, "It’s just funny. I don’t know why that upsets them or what makes them feel that I am not focussed on my game. I just read the comments of people I know. Everybody wants to be loved, and I won’t lie that it feels good when people write good things about you.
"There are fans who are genuine and follow the game. They respect and love you whether you get a zero or a hundred, get suspended or dropped. I do try and make time for people like them. Sometimes people also write some really funny things about you, and I share it with my friends and we laugh over it. It can provide good entertainment as well (laughs!)".
7. On his dating and personal life
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On being linked with actresses like Athiya Shetty, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor and Sonam Bajwa, Kl said, "Oh, all these things have been written about? I don’t really read the papers, so I don’t know what has been written about me. I have learnt to keep my personal life personal and not make it a thing to talk about. I am committed to cricket right now".
What about his relationship status, Rahul said, "I don’t really know. When I figure that out, I will give you a call and tell you".
When asked about his mentor in the team and how he de-stresses, KL Rahul said, "I talk to a lot of people and there’s no one person that I go to. I talk a lot to Virat, MS Dhoni and Rohit. I talk to Sanjay Bangar, our batting coach, the most to see how I can improve on the areas that I need to work on. I hang out with Hardik a lot. It’s like one big family".
"If I am not playing cricket, I play a different sport. I go home and play football in Bengaluru. My parents are from Mangalore, so I like to go chill on the beach there, spend the weekend with friends. When we have off days on tour, I love to shop for shoes, watch movies and order room service".
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What about style and fitness and the obsession about tattoos, the batsman said, "I grew up watching a lot of sport, so David Beckham has always been an inspiration. He’s someone I admire a lot.
"I am not too obsessive about it. Not that I can’t put an end to it, but it’s a new thing that I have started. I get tiny tattoos in every country I visit. I have two tiny tattoos on my leg that I got in Australia and England and I hope to continue that".
