World Cup 2023: ‘Social media trolling was a painful time’, says KL Rahul

Indian batsman KL Rahul opens up on the challenging period he faced due to injuries and social media criticism. His redemption fillowing an unbeaten 97 against Australia in the World Cup opener, includes injuries and online trolling.

During an interview with Star Sports, KL Rahul recalled the painful phase when he encountered trolls following his average performances in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

“It was a time of immense criticism. People were commenting relentlessly after every match or event. I couldn’t fathom why these comments kept coming, as my performance wasn’t that bad. It was an extremely trying period for me,” KL Rahul shared.

Kl Rahul recounted the difficulty he faced when he sustained an injury during the IPL earlier this year, stating that his participation in the World Cup was uncertain, given that he would be sidelined for four to five months following the injury. However, KL Rahul’s recovery process was helped by his prior experiences with injuries and surgeries.

KL Rahul said, “Then I got injured during the IPL. When I found out that I would be out of competitive cricket for 4-5 months and playing in the WC was uncertain, it was tough. I’ve experienced numerous injuries and surgeries during my career in India. I know the pain and the process of recovery, and how challenging it can be. All of that was on my mind, and I was aware of the process”.

He also stated that his positive mindset and the motivation to return before the home World Cup worked as the working force.

“So I remained positive. I had the motivation to return before the home World Cup and be a part of the team. I had been preparing for wicketkeeping with this tournament in mind. Every morning, I would tell myself that I have to win this World Cup.”

“This is what got me out of bed and made me do all the monotonous work. It underscores how special it is for me and everyone. Playing in a World Cup is a dream for me, and for everyone. Playing in a home World Cup is even more special,” he concluded.