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Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul recently opened up about some of the toughest challenges he has faced on the cricket field. During an engaging segment, Rahul was asked a series of rapid-fire questions, where he shared insights into the bowlers who have troubled him the most. From a spinner who gives him sleepless nights to a pacer he dreads facing in the nets, Rahul’s responses shed light on the immense competition at the highest level.
KL Rahul reveals which bowler gives him sleepless nights
Rahul recently revealed the bowler who has given him the most sleepless nights. During an interaction on 25 Questions by ESPNcricinfo, Rahul was asked about the toughest bowler he has faced, and he promptly named Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan.
Despite facing Rashid only four times in international cricket, the leg-spinner has managed to dismiss him once, during the 2018 Asia Cup Super-4 clash in Dubai, where Rahul could only score a single off six deliveries. In T20 cricket, Rashid has been even more dominant against Rahul, dismissing him three times in 47 balls while restricting him to just 40 runs. Two of these dismissals came during IPL 2018, highlighting the Afghan spinner’s ability to trouble the Indian batter.
A bowler Rahul hates facing in the nets
When asked which bowler he hates facing in the nets, Rahul, with a grin, named Indian pacer Mohammed Shami. His response didn’t come as a surprise, given Shami’s ability to generate pace, swing, and bounce.
Statistically, Shami has had the upper hand over Rahul in T20 cricket. In three IPL seasons, Rahul has managed to score only 31 runs off 28 balls against Shami while being dismissed twice in IPL 2022 when Lucknow Super Giants faced Gujarat Titans.
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Toughest bowler to keep to and a bowler he wouldn’t want to drop a catch off
Apart from naming Rashid as the bowler who gives him sleepless nights and Shami as the bowler he hates facing in the nets, Rahul also spoke about the challenges of wicketkeeping. When asked about the toughest bowler to keep wickets to, he once again named Shami, acknowledging the pacer’s skill and movement with the ball.
Additionally, when quizzed about the bowler he wouldn’t want to drop or miss a catch off, Rahul picked India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Given Bumrah’s lethal accuracy and match-winning abilities, dropping a catch off his bowling could prove costly for the team.
