KL Rahul spills out his unique preparation technique

Indian opener KL Rahul had to miss the most important part of the last season due to a shoulder injury. The young lad batted with a lot of pain in the Test series against Australia in March. He had to restrict himself from playing certain shots still, he managed to score consistently in the series. However, the 25-year-old made a comeback during the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

He announced his return with a stable knock of 57 runs but was run out as a result of a confusion with his partner. Recently, he revealed everything about the unique technique he uses as a part of his pre-match preparation. The right-hander uses a single stump in his hand instead of the willow and faces a few balls to improve his timing. Rahul stated that he learned this trick from his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers.

Helps to time the ball perfectly

He also mentioned that the technique helps him to watch the ball closely and also helps in getting the timing right for the shots from the onset. In addition, he also revealed that the stump has a relatively smaller face in comparison to the bat and it helps him to get close to the ball.

“I have been doing the stump drill for a while now. I picked it from AB de Villiers. He used to do that a lot in the RCB nets. It helps me watch the ball a lot more closely and helps me maintain my shape. With a small face to hit the ball, it will be very difficult to find the right timing irrespective of whether you go ahead or allow the ball to come to you. It also gives me the perfect idea of where I need to meet the ball, watch the ball more closely and helps me let the ball come on to the bat. That’s why I do it and I don’t do it for too long. I just do it for few balls just to get my confidence and shape going,” termed Rahul.

Sanjay Bangar’s views

The Indian team’s assistant coach Sanjay Bangar who looks after the batting department also talked about Rahul’s new technique. “Every player has his pre-match routines and so does KL Rahul. What he does on pre-match days is that he likes to bat with just one stump. The intention behind that is that if he can lay the stump on the ball (such a thin margin), there is more chance of the ball hitting the middle of the bat when he goes out in the middle as the bat has a broader face.”

“As for his progression goes, after playing few balls moving his feet, he plays few balls without moving his feet because his intention is to lean with his head and shoulder and that helps in getting a better footwork going whether it is off the front foot or the back foot. That is something he does pre-match and he looks to be in a great shape,” Bangar added.