ICC World Cup 2023: KL Rahul opens up on social media criticism, says ‘was a very painful period for…’

ICC World Cup 2023: India was in big trouble against Australia on Sunday as we lost our top order early, but then two batsmen- Virat Kohli and KL Rahul came to the rescue and played in a magical partnership to lead India to victory. Virat Kohli has always been the champion of the team, but for KL Rahul this is more than just good batting. The batter is recovering from a bad form and only the Indian cricket fans know the value of his century in the Asia Cup 2023.

New Zealand vs Netherlands Live Score, Cricket World Cup 2023 Updates

After smashing a wonderful 97* against Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 opener, KL Rahul opened up about his tough phase and said the period when he was facing criticism on social media was very painful.

"There was a lot of criticism. People were commenting something or the other on every match or thing. I could not understand why it was coming and from where it was coming, because my performance was not that bad. It was a very painful period for me," KL Rahul said in an interview with Star Sports.

Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here!

KL Rahul also spoke about the phase when he got injured during the Indian Premier League (IPL). The phase was tough and 2022 has not been a very great year for his batting and the injury could have prevented him from playing for India in 2023.

"Then I got injured during the IPL. When I got to know that I would be out of competitive cricket for 4-5 months and playing the WC was not a certainty, it was difficult for me. I have gone through a lot of injuries and surgeries during my career in India. I know the pain and process of coming back from it and how difficult it is. That all was in my mind and I was aware of the processes," said KL Rahul.

‘Have to win this World Cup’

Despite having tons of difficulties, KL Rahul is still positive and training hard to bring home another ICC World Cup trophy.

"So I was positive. I had the motivation to come back before the home World Cup and be a part of the team. I had been preparing wicketkeeping keeping this tournament in mind. I used to tell myself every morning that I have to win this World Cup," he said.

ICC World Cup 2023 points table: Despite huge win vs Australia, India at 5th spot, here's WHY

"This is what pushed me out of bed and made me do all the boring work. So this tells you how special it is for me and for all. Playing a World Cup is a dream for me, and for everyone. Playing a home World Cup is even more special," he concluded.