'We Criticise Ourselves More Than Any Of You': KL Rahul's Stern Reply On Strike-Rate Debate

Prior to team India's 1st T20I against Australia on Tuesday, Rahul was asked about his run-rate, after which he started referring to the roles assigned to the players by the team management.

Prior to team India's 1st T20I against Australia on Tuesday, Rahul was asked about his run-rate.

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New Delhi: Team India's star opener KL Rahul has been under the scanner for his poor form in international cricket. Ever since returning to international cricket after getting injured, Rahul scored 30 runs as captain in the first two matches against Zimbabwe. After this, he was dismissed for a golden duck in India's first match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022. Then he scored 36 against Hong Kong, 28 against Pakistan, and 62 against Afghanistan in the tournament with an overall strike rate of 122.22.

Prior to team India's 1st T20I against Australia on Tuesday, Rahul was asked about his run-rate, after which he started referring to the roles assigned to the players by the team management. Rahul said that players themselves criticize it more than others.

"No one's perfect. No one in the dressing room is perfect. Everyone's working towards something, everyone has a certain role to do. Obviously, strike rates are taken on an overall basis. You'll never see when that batsman has played at a certain strike rate, whether it was important for him to play at a 200-strike rate, or whether the team could have still won playing at a 100-120 strike rate. So these are things that not everybody analyses. That's why when you look at it, it looks low," Rahul was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

"Yes, it is something that I am working on. Obviously, the rules that have been defined to each player in the last 10-12 months have been, you know very clearly and the player understands what is expected out of them and everyone's working towards it."

KL Rahul speaks on environment inside team India's dressing room

 

"The most important thing for a player in that dressing room is what his captain, his coach and what his players think of him. Only we know what role is expected out of each person and everyone is trying to give their best and not every time will a player succeed. That is the kind of environment we've created where players are not afraid to make mistakes or fail. We work the hardest for this," Rahul pointed out.

 

"Criticism happens every time. We criticise ourselves more than any of you do. We dream of winning; We are representing the country, we want to win the world cup all that is in our mind. When we don't do well, it hurts us the most. It's about what goes on in our team. We have a support staff and leader who not only appreciates when times are good but also in tough times when an individual has done well, they back us."