Will Be Lying If I Say We're Not Nervous', Says KL Rahul

 Kings XI Punjab’s young captain KL Rahul has recently spoken about his current state amid the crunch time of coronavirus. He said that he is not sure if the captaincy will affect his batting, as he feels the previous form may differ a bit as they are will play after a long gap in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that starts in the UAE from September 19.

KL Rahul has become one of the key players in India’s limited-overs set-up. He has last played in the Ranji Trophy semi-final for Karnataka against Bengal earlier this year. He said that his batting was "all over the place" when he hit the net for the first time two months ago. 

"Firstly, I think we are starting fresh. I don't think what has happened seven months prior will matter now," Rahul said to IANS in an interview from Dubai. 

"We are all coming into the tournament with not [having played] a lot of cricket. So, I am not sure if my batting form is going to be the same as it was seven months ago. We all as cricketers are slightly nervous because we haven't played a lot of cricket, like I said," he added. "And in a tournament like IPL which is huge, I would be lying if I say all of us are not nervous at all. We are, but that's the challenge of sport. No one expected this to happen."

However, the new captain of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) is looking forward to having a good time with the team and he said that he will go into it with an open mind as well. 

"I have always enjoyed that leadership role and I have always enjoyed having responsibility on my shoulders. Like I said it's the first time I am doing it so...I am going into this with an open mind and to learn on the go from each game and each day," he concluded.

Notably, KXIP haven’t won the IPL title in 12 years, but the captain said that they are not thinking about the end result and currently focusing on the process only.