IPL 2020: KL Rahul Keen To Emulate Virat Kohli And MS Dhoni In Captaincy Aspect

Indian keeper-batsman KL Rahul will walk into the upcoming edition of the IPL, in charge for the first time. Kings XI Punjab decided to appoint KL Rahul as the captain after Ravichandran Ashwin’s reign as a leader failed to produce the desired results. As the 28-year-old steps in as the skipper for the first time, he targets emulating the likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

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MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are undeniably two of the greatest icons not only in Indian but also world cricket. The pair have remained integral to India’s success not only with the bat but also their ability to lead from the front. Virat Kohli took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni while the latter was always there to support Kohli and assist him in decision-making.

KL Rahul labelled MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli as the most inspiring cricketers in the last decade or so and playing under them gives a player great lessons. While the keeper-batsman underlined that both of them are different in their leadership approach, their goal remains the same, which is always to earn a victory. He hopes to imbibe those qualities and lead from the front too.

“Of course. They have been the most inspiring cricketers and leaders in the last 10 years at least. Having the opportunity to play under them is a great learning. Both (Kohli and Dhoni) are completely different individuals and lead the team differently.

“But their passion for the team is the same, they always want to win and push the team together. I also want use the same approach with my team and look to lead from the front. It should feel like a team, it should feel like family,” Rahul stated as quoted by India Today.

I always keep my eyes open to learning: KL Rahul

The Karnataka-born added that he continuously tracks the game on the field and keeps an open mind to learn. KL Rahul further said that a player could learn plenty by watching the likes of Rohit Sharma and Kane Williamson, having seen them lead in IPL and the international arena. Hence, the 28-year-old hopes that those learnings are locked for him to use in a real-time situation.

“We are always constantly watching the game on the field, I always keep my eyes open to learning. You learn a lot watching the likes of Rohit (Mumbai Indians captain and India captain at 2018 Asia Cup), guys like Kane Williamson. Hopefully, it (the learnings) is all stored in the back of my head (for me to use in the tournament),” he added.

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