This Rahul is Ton'tastic

Cast your eyes on him, and his trendy hairdo and funky tattoos are the first to catch your attention — a reflection of his spunky style. But strike a conversation with this able cricketer, and his assured sense of maturity will take you by surprise. On a sunny afternoon in the ooru, namma huduga KL Rahul, who has taken the cricketing world by storm, gets candid in this freewheeling chat.

Ask the lanky lad about the soon to begin KPL and he says, “I’m used to playing the KPL, but launching it is a different feeling. Unfortunately, I will miss out on it this year. But I will obviously be following it to keep track of my state mates and see how they’re doing.”

After making an impressive ton in the T20 game against West Indies, Rahul now has centuries in all three formats of the game on international turf.  “I hope I keep performing the same way and go from strength to strength. We have some very competitive teams coming in the next six to eight months  with  all the games being played in India, it will be very challenging. I’ve had a good season starting from April, but I have to leave that behind me and take the confidence and form into the next couple of months and give better performances,” he says.

His RCB team mate Chris Gayle showered praise on him and said that the young bloke would give Virat Kohli a run for his money. What does he have to say about Gayle’s statement? “It’s good to hear someone like Chris giving me compliments, but it’s too early for me to do it.  All I can say is I will work as hard as I possibly can and try to replicate whatever he’s done for the country. Virat’s consistency, dedication and passion for the game are unreal. We feel lucky to be playing with him and have him as captain, I hope I can give him a run for his money.”

The man with an insatiable passion for the game reveals that he was just like any other boy who loved to play cricket on the streets. “Cricket was big in our family too. That’s where the love for the game started. At 11, my dad put me in a summer camp. My coaches recognised me early and I started training from a very young age,” says the cricketer, who has worked with different coaches at different academies.

As a kid, Rahul grew up admiring his namesake Dravid and Little Master Sachin Tendulkar. “I dreamt of playing with them. But they had retired by the time I came into the team. Right now, I’m a big fan of AB de Villiers and Kohli.”

Interestingly, the tale behind Rahul’s name is a rather amusing one. His dad, an avid fan of Sunil Gavaskar decided to name his son after his idol’s son. Only after naming him Rahul did he realise that Gavaskar’s son’s name is Rohan! “As for my mom, she says she was an SRK fan and that’s why they chose the name Rahul!” he says.

A chat with this youngster cannot be complete without discussing his funky style statements. Speaking about his sense of style, he says, “If I think I can carry something off, I’ll go out there and do it confidently and I think that reflects on my game as well. I’m not shy to be adventurous on and off the field. I like to experiment with my hair, there’s only a certain age when you can do all this. When you’re 30, married and have kids, you can’t do all this! I always love keeping myself updated about fashion.”

Considering he has tons of women swooning over him, how does he deal with all the female attention? “I’ve always got attention from the ladies, but I never really let it go to my head. I enjoy it, but don’t think too much of it. They all love the cricketer Rahul, but only my friends and family know the real me,” he says