Cricket
Cricket
Find out what KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada always wanted to ask each other
The orange cap and purple cap holders joined Suhail Chandhok for a casual chat about the 2020 season and their achievements.
13 min
Off the field with KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada
Orange cap winner KL Rahul and purple cap winner Kagiso Rabada chat about their recent achievements and the events of 2020.
KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada are two of the greatest cricketers of their generation.
This was confirmed recently when KL Rahul won the orange cap as the best batsman at the toughest T20 cricket competition in the world and Kagiso Rabada won the purple cap as best bowler.
To win the award, KL Rahul scored 670 runs in 14 matches for Punjab. He was also the captain of the side for the first time this season.
Rabada claimed 30 wickets in 17 matches in the 2020 season to claim the title of best bowler. He also holds the league record for best bowling average of all time at 18.09.
Before Rahul could join Team India on a tour of Australia and Rabada joined South Africa for a series against England, they met up via a video call moderated by former cricketer and television presenter Suhail Chandhok.
Here is an excerpt of the casual chat between KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada.
Suhail: The last time I spoke to KL, he said that the one thing he’s going to throw at KG (Rabada) is a FIFA challenge on the PlayStation. But really we can’t wait to see KL Rahul facing KG’s bowling on the field.
Rahul: You know it’s strange. We’ve played each other three-four times now. But I’ve never faced him for more than three-four balls. I always look forward to that challenge. But it’s never happened that we’ve played a couple of overs or a Test match or something. I don’t wish for it though.
Suhail: We do, KL, we do wish to see that. All of us as neutrals and every cricket fan would love to see you challenge each other on the field.
Rabada: KL, I’ll just bowl on your hip. Just take one comfortably.
Rahul: Yeah, I don’t think that’s happened so far where I’ve gotten a comfortable delivery.
8 min
KL Rahul - Shut Out The Noise
Shut Out The Noise is a documentary on how KL Rahul became one of the best batsmen in the world after his return to the India national team in early 2019.
Rabada: But the thing is you are so skilled. It’s crazy. You know how to use the pace. Like the batters are getting really skilled, man. I think cricket’s in a good space.
Suhail: You are right KG. Cricket is in a good space right now. And you are also right about how KL makes batting look so easy. KL, has there been a shot of the tournament for you, like one shot where you thought, “Wow! I hit that sweetly”?
Rahul: Yeah, I think I hit that one in Sharjah against..
Rabada: Of course, you were going to say Sharjah! Haha.
Rahul: No, it was funny because I hit some decently big sixes in Dubai as well. But the ones in Sharjah felt really good. The one off Siraj, it was just there on the hip. I just hit it with minimum energy, minimum effort, and it went really far. Those are the ones I really love where I’m not slogging. I don’t spend too much. I’m sure that hurts the bowler as well. When you hit a good shot, they can say, “Okay, good shot”. But when you’re just like lazy and you pick it up for six they’re like, “Urrgggh!” I know that pisses them off.
Suhail: And then you got a kid on the road picking it up as a souvenir as well. KG, ball of the tournament for you?
Rabada: I got David Warner out. Just swung it back. It was so crazy, usually I get wickets in the powerplay. This season I was getting none. It was a little weird.
Kagiso Rabada
© Tyrone Bradley | Red Bull Content Pool
Rahul: I was just going to ask you. What do you enjoy the most? Do you enjoy bowling upfront? Because if I were the captain, I’d definitely bowl two upfront from Rabada. I want to see him move that ball; you know those ones that come back in and hit the pad. I’d love to see him with the new ball. Obviously what captain Shreyas [Iyer] and coach Ricky [Ponting] think is different and each team’s combination is different. But what do you enjoy?
Rabada: I’ve always enjoyed bowling with a new ball. It moves more; also more bounce. I can put a better bouncer. But in the middle is the role that I’ve had to play since last year. But taking wickets in the middle is kind of what I’ve been trying to figure out. Almost like you don’t have to try to make the batter out, just wait for him to make a mistake. And you’re just trying to get the ball in a particular area and you’re trying to force his mistake. Really that’s it. But I think I like bowling upfront, KL. That’s what I’ve always done in Test and One Day cricket. And you must love opening the batting?
Rahul: Yeah, I love it.
Suhail: I think the last time that I spoke to you both on The Mind Behind, I asked you three reasons why you love being an opening batsman and a fast bowler. But this time, I’m going to take the back seat because I think you guys have questions that you want to ask each other. So KL, you want to go first?
Rahul: I just wanted to ask KG, who is the toughest batsman you’ve bowled to in this tournament? Or like just generally, a batsman that you found very difficult bowling against?
Rabada: In this tournament it’s so hard to pick, dude! I think it was quite hard bowling in Sharjah. There was very little margin for error and you’re bowling against top quality batters; so it’s hard. But in general, the batters that I’ve found tough to bowl to are batters with strong defences. I think that’s why Virat [Kohli] is quite good. If you look at all the best batters, it’s hard to get them out. They won’t necessarily come in and display all their shots to show how good they are. But getting them out is the hardest thing. You try to turn things around, but at the same time, they can switch gears. So, yeah. I think [Kane] Williamson this tournament and KL Rahul. But I didn’t bowl much at KL. I didn’t get to bowl much to him.
Rahul: I’ve only got singles off him.
Rabada: I think I’ve bowled a maximum of two overs overall to KL.
Rahul: And he’s got me out in the super over, if that counts.
4 min
Kagiso Rabada's super over
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada recounts the story of That One Super Over which helped him win his team the match.
Suhail: We won’t count that, don’t worry! KL, anything else for him?
Rahul: I remember watching KG’s under-19 World Cup in Dubai. He was the top performer in that batch of under-19s. On TV, it looked like he had such an effortless action and such an effortless run-up. I was like he looks pretty okay; I mean I didn’t understand what all the talk was about. And then, KG comes on to international cricket and the things that he has done in the past four-five years are incredible. In fact even now, watching him on TV, a lot of us would feel like it’s such an effortless action and effortless run-up. But he produces so much speed, it’s quite scary and intimidating when you’re facing him. KG, is it something that has come with a lot of training or is it something that comes naturally to you since you were a young boy? Did you work on becoming a quick bowler?
Rabada: It was just natural, I guess. Probably luck, as maybe it was for you with your hand-to-eye coordination. I’ve played a lot of sports like rugby, cricket, athletics. I remember trying to bowl as quick as I could. And I was like, “Oh I can work with this!” I think bowling fast was something that came naturally. But strength and conditioning you have to keep working on. To keep yourself strong, prevent injuries, etc. The game has become so much more professional now. I’ve to do all the necessary things that an athlete should do, but otherwise it’s quite natural. Some things come with experience, like reading the game and what to do in different scenarios. And you just mould and mould and mould in the nets. But yeah, I also wanted to ask you; I know batting is something that comes naturally to you. But what do you focus on, what do you tell yourself when you go out to play?
Rahul: Hmm, I don’t think you know this about me, KG, but it’s not really natural. Till I was about 20 years old, I couldn’t hit the ball in the air past 30 yards. Till I was 19-20 years, I couldn’t hit the ball for a six. I was a skinny little guy. I grew up playing the Test match mould. I was the guy who played all day and ended up getting a 100. And then, I saw guys that I played with, who couldn’t really score runs in first class cricket or in state games in under-19 level going on to play IPL. They were scoring so many runs and they suddenly came in the reckoning to play for the country. That’s when it hit me that I need to up my game and find a way to become an all format player. I can’t keep playing just one style. Yes, I was gifted with my hand-eye coordination and I could pick up the line and length of the ball pretty well. But I needed to get stronger, bigger. I needed to hit. And for someone who’s grown up playing defence and leaving the ball, something which is the core of his batting, to hit a ball outside the off stump, hit over covers or something, that’s something I could never think about. So I worked on it for a few years. Today’s game, how I play is pretty unbelievable for me and my coach. Like when we sit and talk, he’s like, “How the hell did you manage to do this” and I’m like, “I have no idea how I managed to this.” I mean I worked for it, but I never thought it would help me so much. That was something that I worked really hard at, especially my shorter format and white ball cricket, becoming a more aggressive sort of batsman.
Suhail: That’s like a common thread between the two of you. KL, you said there’s this elegance and ease about the way KG bowls and then delivers 147-148 kmph. And with you, there’s this fluidity in the way you go about your batting, which is easy on the eye and yet so destructive. So just to close things off guys, there’s been a lot of love between you two as well. Let me ask you this; KG, if you had to describe KL in three words, what would they be?
Rabada: Calm, smooth, and I can’t think of the last one. Hmmm, let me think. Present! Yeah he is present.
Suhail: What about you, KL? Three words to describe KG?
Rahul: Well with KG, the first word that comes to my mind is competitor, fighter. Watching him on the field and playing against him, I know he’s not going to take a backward step at any point. So he’s a fighter, gifted athlete and superstar of the game. I’m sure he’s going to go down as South Africa’s best or one of the best for sure. And in international cricket, he’ll go down as one of the best fast bowlers.
Rabada: That’s the nicest thing he’s ever said to me. Ever!
Rahul: Don’t get used to it! Haha.
KL Rahul
© Ali Bharmal
Rabada: It’s very strange during a match, he’ll say something and I’ll think, “What the hell, man! Did that just come out of your mouth?” So this is like the opposite.
Suhail: You can remind him of this when he’s fielding at short leg and you are batting, KG. Maybe next time in a Test match.
Rabada: And [Jasprit] Bumrah would be bowling. Bowling bouncers around me.
Rahul: I never say anything on the field
Rabada: That’s true. KL doesn’t say anything on the field.
Rahul: Unless someone says something to me first. But actually even otherwise I’m just, yeah [don’t say anything much].
Suhail: One word I’d like to add is that you both are just champions. Just great guys. Everyone that you talk to and interact with say about both of you that you are good guys to be around. You’ve given the tournament a lot of wings. You as an orange cap holder, KL, and you as the purple cap holder, KG, have made it a special tournament for us to watch. Thanks so much for joining us again. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
Rahul: Thanks so much and cheers. Good luck on your series, KG.
Rabada: Thanks again. Play well. We’ll keep in touch.
Rahul: Yeah, I’ll stay in touch.
Rabada: Talk to you soon.
