But I am liking this new version of Rahul even more. He now has maturity to layer his talent and that makes for a very special delicacy --- laced with runs, spectacular shots and match wining innings. He has clearly learnt his lessons and memorized it, on and off the field from being dropped in the Test format to even hauled up for his comments on a chat show.
A lot of things are working up in Rahul’s favour now and he is doing well by making things count. To have someone like Anil Kumble by his side is a blessing no less and captaincy is a responsibility that is forcing his talent to find the depth that gives him another dimension.
Rahul has realized how good he is as a batsman that he has the ability to carry the team on his shoulders single-handedly.
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I won’t be too off the mark to suggest that I can see shades of Virat Kohli’s life in Rahul too. From a talented youngster who temporarily lost his way, introspected and came back with a vengeance to rule the world. Rahul’s career is very similar, and I have a gut feeling that Rahul 2.0 is going to be a big blockbuster like Virat. If that happens, Team India will benefit the most, given that the next three years will see three World Cups across white ball formats and to have both Virat and Rahul in their peak will give us a great chance.
That should make for a fascinating watch. Let’s sit back and enjoy the Rahul show.
The article has been written by former Indian Test cricketer Kapil Dev. The 1983 World Cup winning skipper is an expert with ABP News and features consistently on the channel's sports show to give his views and opinion on various facets of the game.