“Always That Temptation…”: KL Rahul Breaks Silence On Playing Ahead Of Rishabh Pant

India’s first-choice wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul admitted he feels the pressure of Rishabh Pant breathing down his neck, while waiting for his opportunity. With a player like Pant on the bench, Rahul admitted there is always a “temptation” to play either him or the explosive southpaw. India head coach Gautam Gambhir and his regime’s decision to prefer Rahul over Pant has left the fanbase and former cricketers with split opinions. Some have welcomed the management’s decision to keep Rahul in the ODI fold, while others have argued in favour of Pant, citing his impact in the limited-overs format.

Rahul broke the silence about playing ahead of Pant and admitted the factor of performance pressure. The experienced batter isn’t trying to compete with Pant but wants to do the best and stick to his game.

“There is – I won’t lie. I mean, he’s obviously a very, very talented player and he’s shown all of us what he can do, and how aggressive and how quickly he can change the game. So yes, there’s always the temptation for the team as well, whoever’s the captain, the coach to – there’s always that temptation to either play him or play me,” he said in a press conference on Friday.

“There’s always that. But yeah, for me, I just if I’m given the opportunity, I try and see what I can do best. I am not trying to compete with Rishabh, or I am not trying to play like him, or when he gets his opportunities, I am sure he is not going to try to play like anybody else. He is picked on the basis of how he can play and what he can provide for the team, and the same applies to me. So, I try and do what I do best and try and stick to my game,” he added.

In the ongoing Champions Trophy, Rahul has embraced his role as a wicketkeeper batter. In the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, he continued his red-hot form with a composed 41* from 47 deliveries, laced with a sole four and two towering maximums.