India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul is quite an important in the team's Test and ODI set-up. He opens the innings for the side alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Tests and has also been solid in ODIs while batting at the No.5 spot. Having made his debut for the team 12 years before, the 33-year-old has so far played 67 Tests, 94 ODIs, 72 T20Is and has scored over 9000 runs in international cricket.
While Rahul hasn't made a T20I appearance since 2022 and his career in the format seems all but over, he is still a regular for Team India in both Tests and ODIs. Sharing his take on rumours around his retirement, Rahul remarked that it is not going to very difficult for him to call time on his career. He also said that there is time left before he starts thinking about that decision.
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“I don’t think it’s [retirement] gonna be that difficult. If you’re honest with yourself, when it’s time, it’s time. And there’s no point dragging it. Obviously, I’m some time away,” Rahul said in an interaction with Kevin Pietersen on his YouTube channel.
Rahul on his injury struggles
Rahul also opened up on the injuries that he has suffered throughout the course of his career. He labelled them as the "hardest" battle that he has had to face. He further said that while recovering from an injury, it is the mental battle that takes the heaviest toll on the body.
“There have been times when I’m injured and I’ve been injured so many times and that’s the hardest battle that you have to face. It’s not the pain that the physio puts you through or the surgeon puts you through. It’s the mental battle where your mind just gives up. You know, when it happens so many times, your mind is just like, you’ve done enough. You’ve been lucky enough that cricket’s given you enough money. You can survive for the next how many ever years," Rahul stated.
Rahul to make Ranji return?
Meanwhile, after recently featuring for India in their 2-1 ODI series defeat to New Zealand, Rahul is expected to make a return to Ranji Trophy for Karnataka. He has been named in the side's squad for their upcoming clash against Punjab that will begin from January 29.
Karnataka's squad for Punjab clash: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Aneesh KV, Devdutt Padikkal (Captain), Smaran R, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (WK), Venkatesh M, Vidyadhar Patil, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prasidh M Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Shikhar Shetty, Shrijith KL (WK), and Dhruv Prabhakar.