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IPL has played a huge part: KL Rahul on youngsters in Team India brimming with confidence

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Mar 25, 2021, 05:50 PM IST
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Team India's KL Rahul on Thursday said that he was not surprised to see Prasidh Krishna hog the limelight with a sensational ODI debut as he heaped praise on the speedster from Karnataka. Rahul further said it is due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) that the youngsters coming into the Indian team are confident about their abilities to perform at the top level.  

Team India's KL Rahul on Thursday said that he was not surprised to see Prasidh Krishna hog the limelight with a sensational ODI debut as he heaped praise on the speedster from Karnataka. Rahul further said it is due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) that the youngsters coming into the Indian team are confident about their abilities to perform at the top level.  

Prasidh recorded the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler on debut in ODI as he scalped four wickets in the first ODI against England in Pune. 

"Quite honestly, I am not surprised by what Prasidh did in the first ODI. I always knew that the next player coming out of Karnataka would be Prasidh. I have watched him play a lot of junior cricket, I watched him in the nets. He was someone who would catch your eye, he is a tall guy so he gets a lot of bounce from the wicket. Having played with him in the last two seasons, I realised he is a brave boy," said Rahul during a virtual press conference on Thursday.  

"He has a great sense of the game, he is a very keen learner, he is very brave and comes in with a lot of aggression. As you saw in the first game, he was not shy to have a word or two with the batsmen, that is what I love about him. So happy to see him not being overwhelmed with the place he was in. The way he came back after the first three overs, he got a couple of wickets, these are the qualities that define a player and we are impressed with what he has done, if he works hard, he will be a great asset to the side," he added.  

Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the biggest platform for youngsters and lesser-known names to build their skill-sets and perform against the best in the world.   

Answering a question on how he sees youngsters coming in and performing straight away, Rahul said: "I think a huge part is the IPL and the confidence these boys come in with. Whoever is coming in the team, it is not like they have performed in one season of the IPL or one season of first-class cricket. It has been two-three years of consistent performance wherever they play. Suryakumar, Ishan, and Krunal have said in their interviews that they have played against these guys at some point in the IPL and they know how they go about their games. 

"IPL performances have given them a lot of confidence and they have carried that confidence into international cricket. The team management has tried to give the youngsters confidence, I feel weird to call them youngsters having seen them for so many years, when they come in, we want all players to continue what they have been doing. It's important they stick to what they have been doing in the past and keep believing in their process," he added. 

With a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, India would look to seal the series when they take the field for the second ODI against England on Friday in Pune.