Not blessed with power-hitting skill but try to score briskly: Rahul

Sydney, Nov 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's limited overs vice-captain for the tour of Australia, KL Rahul on Wednesday admitted that he does not have the power-hitting skills but he tries his best to keep the run-rate up.

"I wouldn't call my batting power-hitting, that's something that I honestly feel like I have not been able to do or not what I am blessed with. I am blessed with a certain skill and I try and play the role I feel the team requires me to play at that particular moment. If that means scoring runs at 160-170 strike rate, I try to do that to the best of my ability and if it's the other way around, I will try to do that," Rahul said while speaking to the media.

Rahul added that he tries to play according to the situation and with age and experience he is adding to his skills and getting better particularly while playing and interacting with some of the best in the world at the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"What I have learnt from the past is to be present in the moment and assess the situation how you can win games for your teams and yes as you grow older and play more, you keep getting better and better with your skills," he added.

"I am blessed and lucky I get to interact with the greats in our team and play the IPL and interacting and chatting with the others. I am always looking to learn and grow, so that I keep getting better. Blessed with whatever I have been working I am getting better and better," he said.

Rahul added that the IPL has given him and other players plenty of confidence when he had almost forgotten the last time he played for India -- in Mount Maunganui against New Zealand where he scored a century.

"I have almost forgotten the hundred I scored," he said.

"It does give a player a lot of confidence. Just considering how the last six-seven months went before the IPL. We had not played a lot of cricket so it was important as we all came into that tournament with a lot of self-doubt and we hadn't prepared enough, so we had a lot going on in our mind. It felt good that I could get runs and hopefully I can use that confidence and use that momentum in this series as well," he added.

"Obviously it's a different format, playing Australia, who are a very competitive team. Yes, having runs behind you does help but, again, it's a fresh start, it's a fresh tournament and it's a different format. So it's important that we start fresh and stay positive and look to win matches for the team."

Rahul was all praise for the Australians and refused to pinpoint a bowler who could be a threat to them. He also praised the in-form Australian Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne saying, "We have watched how Marnus played and hopefully he won't score that many runs against us. We will have a plan set, we have a top quality bowling attack so it will be a good challenge for him and our bowlers as well."

Source: IANS