"Don't Really Think About Her When...": KL Rahul Intriguing Reason On Why Wife Athiya Shetty Might 'Kill' Him

01.01.2024 - 08:06 sports.ndtv.com

KL Rahul's performance was one of the few positive for India in the first Test against South Africa. The batter scored a terrific ton which was praised by Sunil Gavaskar as one of top 10 centuries for India in Test cricket.

KL Rahul also had a good outing for India at the ODI World Cup 2023 where he donned the wicketkeeper's gloves as well. KL Rahul recently revealed the support he received from his wife, Athiya Shetty during injury and rehabilitation and her little superstition.

Rahul and Athiya got married in 2023. Athiya is the daughter of Bollywood actor and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty. "She was with me.

She's always been with me through everything. She was more frustrated and angrier most days than I was. So, I found myself, trying to keep her calm than anything else.

cricket South Africa Cricket Team India Cricket Team World Cup 2023 South Africa vs India on Star Sports Kl Rahul South Africa India

Veteran Indian cricketer KL Rahul, who kept wickets for the first time in a Test series during India's tour of South Africa, has reportedly been relieved from the responsibility. Though Rahul impressed many with his skills behind the stumps, he will reportedly not be used as a wicket-keeper batter in the 5-match Test series between India and England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee and the team management are looking at specialist wicket-keeper KS Bharat to fulfill that role for the team in the upcoming assignment.

"You Cannot Sign Him Off": Ex-India Star Prefers Sanju Samson Over KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant

Former India star Suresh Raina backed Sanju Samson as his leading choice for the wicketkeeper-batter role and called the Kerala player the X-Factor. It is worth noting that Samson and Jitesh Sharma have been included as wicketkeeper-batters in India's squad for three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Ishan Kishan is not a part of the series as he has asked for rest. Meanwhile, the team management has given no clarity on the absence of KL Rahul, who has cemented his place as wicketkeeper-batter in ODI cricket.

Ishan Kishan In Fray For England Tests, Says Report. KL Rahul's Role Changes To ...

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Ishan Kishan recently with some media reports claiming that the wicket-keeper batter was dropped for the Afghanistan T20I series due to 'mistrust' between him and the Indian cricket team selectors. Kishan opted out of the South Africa Test series citing 'personal reasons' and has not featured for the national side since then. However, according to Cricbuzz, he is likely to make his return to international cricket during the upcoming Test series against England as the team management may opt for a specialist wicket-keeper in place of KL Rahul.

Watch: Fans Try To Touch KL Rahul's Feet. Here's What Happened Next

KL Rahul had a good outing in the recently concluded Test series against South Africa with a hard-fought century in Centurion but the wicket-keeper batter was not included for the T20I series against Afghanistan starting Thursday. With the T20 World Cup 2024 just round the corner, Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson were given a chance to show their mettle on the international stage. In a video doing the rounds on social media, Rahul was seen coming out of a restaurant when he was mobbed by some of his fans. Two of the fans tried to touch his feet but Rahul stopped them and took pictures with them instead.

Why KL Rahul Wasn't Picked For Afghanistan T20Is? Reason Explained

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally ended the waiting game and announced India's squad for the 3-mach T20I series against Afghanistan. Seeing the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Sanju Samson in the squad, several fans were understandably elated but there were those too who were left to question the absence of wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul. The Karnataka lad couldn't find a place in the team as an opener or a middle-order batter, a position he has made his own in ODIs and Tests, as the selection committee preferred other options.

"The Moment Rishabh Pant Is Fit...": Ex India Star Issues Bold KL Rahul vs Shreyas Iyer Statement

As India's tour of South Africa concludes, there remain plenty of questions that the selectors and the team management are left to answer. The performances of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Prasidh Krishna left much to desire while a few others managed to deliver in fragments. As far as the No. 5 debate goes in the Test team, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels it's a position that will be decided between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer once wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is fully fit and ready to return.