IND vs SA: “Something Just Has To Click Or Unlock Or Release To Get Him Going” – CSK Coach Stephen Fleming On KL Rahul

Former New Zealand National Cricket Team skipper and the current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach, Stephen Fleming, has backed KL Rahul to come good in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and said that “something just has to click or unlock or release to get him going”.

KL Rahul has been under scrutiny for his consistency in recent times. The 30-year-old has failed miserably in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and many have called for his exclusion from the playing XI. In three ICC T20 World Cup 2022 games against Pakistan, Netherlands and South Africa, Rahul has registered scores of 7, 9 and 9.

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Speaking on ESPNCricinfo’s T20 Time Out after Rahul’s third failure in a row, Stephen Fleming said:

“I don’t know what unlocks KL Rahul. I remember at IPL seasons where he stuttered this way through, and then we copped him once, the team has been knocked out of the tournament, his franchise side, and he played one of the most unbelievable innings to get a hundred. You just look at it with just absolute awe wondering ‘where has this been’ Something just has to click or unlock or release to get him going.”

It’s Just Maybe That Fear Of Failure – Stephen Fleming On KL Rahul’s Struggle In World Cup

Stephen Fleming further said that the reason behind Rahul’s struggle in the ongoing marquee tournament might just be the “fear of failure”. He added that the Indian team management needs to give KL Rahul confidence that he is not going to be dropped from the playing XI for the remainder of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The CSK head coach also shared his message for the Indian opener. He elaborated:

“It’s just maybe that fear of failure or just rip into it with the confidence that you are not going to be dropped for the rest of the tournament. Yeah, I am locking him in. I’m just saying ‘mate you’re in for the run, you’ve proven how good a player you can be. What’s going to unlock it?’ 

“If I’m going to give you confidence and say ‘you have got the remainder of the tournament to play, play however you want but I am not dropping you. You are a key player and I support you’, and if that could unlock him then that would be great. It would go a long way to us winning the competition, if he was in a side of mine. So that would be my message.”

? "Play however you want, but I'm not dropping you. You're a key player, and I support you."

CSK coach Stephen Fleming backs KL Rahul to come good in the #T20WorldCup ? #CricketTwitter #T20Timeout pic.twitter.com/9znaDsQawM

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 31, 2022

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