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Former keeper-batter Parthiv Patel recently spoke about how Team India's KL Rahul faced a lot of challenges in the recent past after sustaining a thigh injury. Rahul was out of action for several months after copping a thigh injury during IPL 2023.
Heaping praise on Rahul for making a brilliant comeback, Patel stated that the former was able to turn things around because of his mental strength. Rahul starred with the bat in India's opening match of the 2023 World Cup against Australia in Chennai on Sunday.
KL Rahul walked out to bat when the Men in Blue were reeling at 2/3 while chasing a 200-run total. He delivered a defiant knock under pressure, remaining unbeaten on 97 to guide his side to an important six-wicket win.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Parthiv Patel said (0:11) about Rahul's performance:
"Look at those runs after making a comeback. He went through a lot of turmoil in his career. The injury came in at a very wrong time. But he worked really hard and has never looked back after that. That hundred against Pakistan was very crucial, and he has been consistent after that."
"Today's knock is another testimony to why everyone talks about him so highly. His timing was so good. Even on this difficult, slow wicket, he was timing it brilliantly. His mental strength was key for me," he added.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket put India in a commanding position following the poor start. While Rahul remained unbeaten on 97 to see the team through, Kohli was dismissed after scoring 85.
"Nothing wrong with it" - Parthiv Patel on KL Rahul calculating how he could have scored a hundred
When India required five runs to win, KL Rahul needed to hit a four and a six to get to his hundred. While he tried to hit a four off Pat Cummins' bowling, he timed it too well and the ball sailed over the ropes for a maximum.
Parthiv Patel reckoned that Rahul did nothing wrong by trying to get to the three-figure mark. He suggested that the batter deserved to do so as he had already ensured a win for the team by then. He added (13:45):
"He should be really proud of the kind of innings he played. It was mathematically possible to get that hundred, and he was trying that. You think about hundreds when you have put your team in a position from where you can't lose. He had done that. If you are thinking about going for your hundred after that, there is nothing wrong with it."
KL Rahul was adjudged the Player of the Match for his clutch knock. India are currently placed fifth in the 2023 World Cup points table with a net run rate of 0.883.
