Home
Former India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar talked about the impact of Rohit Sharma on the resurgence of KL Rahul's cricketing career. According to Nayar, Rohit championed a more aggressive and proactive style of batting for Rahul, believing it was key to unlocking his full potential. Nayar recalled the conversation with Rohit where he stressed the need to bring out the best in the Rahul, especially with important tournaments on the horizon in the 2023-25 international cycle.
He was keen on me doing was working with KL Rahul and bringing out a more aggressive outlook: Abhishek Nayar
Nayar, who transitioned to the Indian team's coaching staff as an assistant coach under Gautam Gambhir in July 2024 after a successful period with the Kolkata Knight Riders, provided insight into this transformation. Despite a challenging period for the Indian team, which included a 3-1 series loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and ultimately led to Nayar's departure from the coaching setup, KL Rahul's performance was a notable exception. He displayed a newfound rhythm and a clearer, more decisive approach to his batting, standing out even as many of his teammates grappled with persistent technical issues.
"When I first picked up that role, I remember I had a conversation with Rohit, and he said that one of the things he was really keen on me doing was working with KL and bringing out a more aggressive outlook to how KL played the game, and bringing the best out of him because he believed strongly that KL would play a major role in the Champions Trophy, World Cup and everything going forward including the BGT [Border-Gavaskar Trophy] and the Tests in England," Nayar said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The credit for this positive change, Nayar explains, goes to a meticulously crafted plan that he and Rahul collaboratively developed prior to the crucial Australian tour. This process was initiated with extensive conversations aimed at building a strong foundation of trust between the coach and the player. Following these discussions, they systematically worked on both refining Rahul's technique and recalibrating his mental approach to the game, which ultimately resulted in his revitalized form.
"A coach has to be lucky. How lucky that in his first game in Australia he got runs in the second innings and in the first also he got a start. That gave him a bit of believability. There are times when the glue just sticks. That was the moment the glue stuck. He really enjoyed that knock. He told me, listen, I feel like I am just watching and playing. It's music to me now, playing the sport," he added.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma during the first Test at Perth, KL Rahul stepped up to open the innings and made significant contributions that were crucial to India's victory. He scored a valuable 26 in the first innings, followed by a fluent and assertive 77 in the second. Although he did not manage to score a century during the Australian tour, these impactful innings were instrumental in reaffirming his importance and value to the Indian team. This strong form continued into the subsequent series against England. In one of the matches, he posted a solid score of 42. He then followed this up with an impressive century, scoring a fine 137 at Headingley. Despite his outstanding individual performance, India was unable to secure a win in that particular match. All eyes will be on Rahul yet again when India lock horns with England in the second Test which is set to start from July 2 in Birmingham.
ADVERTISEMENT
