Despite the win, LSG ended their season with 14 points from 14 games and were eliminated from the playoffs race.
At the post-match interaction, Rahul managed to lighten the mood with a humorous reference to a popular advertisement featuring himself, his father-in-law Suniel Shettyand Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma. “I’m on my father-in-law’s team now. We’ll both be cheering for Sharma ji ka beta in the World Cup,” he quipped, indicating his support for the Rohit-led Indian team in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Reflecting on the season, Rahul stated, “Very disappointing. At the beginning of the season, I really felt we had a strong team and had most bases covered. A couple of injuries – happen to every team. We didn’t play well enough collectively. Today was a really good performance. This is the kind of game we wanted to play more. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that.”
Rahul praised the hard work and development of LSG’s Indian pacers, noting the franchise’s significant investment in their training.
“Really happy for them. The franchise has invested a lot of time and energy with them. It’s not just two months in the year. We sent Mayank and Yudhvir to South Africa to train with Morne Morkel. Hard work for them has paid off, but the franchise and the team have worked a lot with them,” he said.
The 32-year-old also shared insights on his personal journey and future goals.
“There’s not much T20 cricket coming up now. It’s been a season where I’ve learnt a lot about my own batting and what I need to do to get back in the team. Maybe middle-order, maybe not. We would’ve ideally wanted him (Pooran) to bat higher, but with how the team’s lined up, we want our senior international players to bat in positions where they can absorb pressure. Didn’t want our two overseas batters to bat close together,” Rahul explained.
While the season didn’t end as hoped for LSG, Rahul’s comments highlight both the challenges faced and the valuable lessons learned, as he looks forward to future opportunities in his cricketing career.
(With inputs from ANI)
