Indian batsman KL Rahul will lead the Lucknow Super Giants franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and the skipper of the Lucknow-based franchise feels that the quarantines got the players together but he also shared the difficulties he had to face in the bio-bubbles.
KL Rahul speaks
“The good thing was the bubble, the quarantines got the players together, we got to know each other better. I have gotten to know the players I have been with for 4-5 years better on a personal level and formed a much deeper friendship. You are constantly improving because you are chatting with your fellow players about the game. That’s all we know to be honest. We only know about cricket," Rahul told Red Bull Cricket on ‘Clubhouse.’
The Lucknow Super Giants skipper also shared his initial experience of being in bio-bubbles.
“It became very difficult for me to keep myself motivated. The first few bubble I did manage. Because I kept asking myself, ‘Where else can I be? What else can I do?’ Nothing. Cricket is the only thing I am good at and this is the thing I have chosen, so I owe it to myself. I kept pushing myself that way. But the last couple of months were very difficult. Shreyas and me were chatting about how it’s getting more difficult especially when your families can’t come and be with you. You need your family, your friends to just feel normal. We stopped feeling normal. We had to sleep, wake-up, go to the ground. It just became a routine. It started getting very difficult," said Rahul.
“I was quite okay initially, but I think the last series and the West Indies series at home really got to me.”
IPL schedule
The inaugural match of the IPL 2022 edition is scheduled to be played on March 26, between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai and the final match of the tournament will take place on May 29.
Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2022 full squad
KL Rahul (captain), Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Quinton de Kock, Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajput, K Gowtham, Dushmanta Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manan Vohra, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Evin Lewis, Mayank Yadav, Kyle Mayers.
