Had nightmares that I’d forgotten how to pick line and length: KL Rahul on anxiety during lockdown

KL Rahul was enjoying a purple patch when the Covid-19 pandemic brought cricket, like most sport, across the globe to halt in March.

Sportspersons have since had to face a unique situation where they have been deprived of not just the game but also proper training to keep themselves fit. Rahul said the lockdown has helped him become more patient and appreciate life.

“It taught me to be grateful for a lot of things in life like just being healthy and having food on the table,” Rahul told The Times of India.

“During the period I also learnt to be a lot more patient. I’m grateful that I got to spend quality time with my family, which I haven’t been able to do since my junior cricket days. It gave me an opportunity to reach out to and help less fortunate people. Also, I learnt to cook,” he added.

The right-handed batsman though revealed that there were periods of anxiety and frustration that head to battle.

“I kept wondering if my skills would remain the same when I returned to the sport. I had nightmares. A couple of times I woke up in the middle of the night because I dreamt I had forgotten how to pick the line and length. It scared the hell out of me. To be honest, when I went back to play the first session, it was horrible because I was rusty,” he said.

But with cricket now on the horizon with the Indian Premier League returning on September 19 in the UAE, Rahul is gearing up to lead King XI Punjab. It will be his first stint as a captain in the IPL.

“As a leader, you will have to be mindful of the fact that a lot of players will be rusty. We will all be nervous because we are restarting the game with a major tournament without much action in recent times. So, it’s important for a leader to make the players feel comfortable and let them know that it’s okay to feel like that initially. That said, it will be a good learning experience for each one of us because we have a great set of coaches and support staff,” he said.

The 13th edition of the IPL will be held in UAE from September 19 to 10 November. Kings XI Punjab will be hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014 haven’t struggled in the last few seasons.