IND vs BAN LIVE: India Practice Adelaide: Struggling India opener KL Rahul found support in former captain Virat Kohli. The former skipper who has hit a purple patch had a lengthy discussion during India’s optional practice in Adelaide. KL Rahul is undergoing a poor run of form, returning single digits in all three games. As India face Bangladesh in a MUST-WIN game on Wednesday, Kohli offered him support during the indoor practice session. Both discussed his batting issues with Kohli. Follow India vs Bangladesh LIVE & ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Live Updates with InsideSport.IN.
You cannot be out of form for long, once #KingKohli takes you under his wing! 🙌
Drop a 💙 if you #BelieveInBlue for @klrahul to make his mark in the tournament.#FollowTheBlues | #INDvBAN: Nov 2, 1 PM | Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/b5TNMwFos4
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Kohli walked up to his compatriot after batting coach Vikram Rathour raise his arms high to release the ball but stopped in the way and asked Rahul to check his foot movement. Kohli, then, depicted through shadow movement to open up his shoulder and play a shot which will keep his front foot free to react as per the demands of the ball.
The former India captain had given the same set of advice to out-of-favour India batter Venkatesh Iyer. “Always react, don’t predetermine. As long as you are pressing forward, you are in a good position to leave, good position to get under the ball and good position to rock up. From here you can spring up. If your base is good, no need to go back,” he told Iyer as per the Indian Express.
Virat Kohli in a lengthy conversation with KL Rahul ahead of the Bangladesh match. The gesturing suggests the chat is about the rising ball outside off. pic.twitter.com/613epHRJmJ
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IND vs BAN LIVE: Virat Kohli turns coach for KL Rahul, offers struggling vice-captain ADVICE in SPECIAL pep talk – Watch video
Why is KL Rahul still in the playing XI for India? – Despite failing to get past a single-digit score in the first-three matches of the T20 World Cup 2022, Rahul has been backed strongly by the Indian team management including the likes of head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour.
“I think he is a fantastic player, he has a proven track record. I think he has been batting superbly. These things can happen in T20Is, it has not been that easy for top-order batters. This tournament has been challenging, I think he was brilliant in the practice games against the likes of Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc. He got 60 or 70. I am hoping that it all clicks together in the next few games,” Dravid said in the pre-match conference ahead of India’s clash vs Bangladesh.
However, the match against Bangladesh will be extremely crucial for Rahul, as he might be dropped from the playing XI on a sample size of four matches. And the elegant opener will be under pressure to return to form ahead of India’s possible entry into the semi-finals.
Rahul, meanwhile, has been trying to fix all bases as he had sought the help of Team India mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton. He averages nearly 38 in the shortest format with two centuries and 20 half-centuries to his name.
IND vs BAN LIVE: Virat Kohli turns coach for KL Rahul, offers struggling vice-captain ADVICE in SPECIAL pep talk – Watch video
