KL Rahul opens up on handling social media trolls

KL Rahul revealed he didn’t pay a lot heed to criticism directed in the direction of him on social media after scoring a hard-fought 101 on Day 2 of the primary Test between South Africa and India in Centurion.

Rahul introduced up his eighth Test hundred — his second on the trot at Centurion’s SuperSport Park — after resuming from his in a single day rating of 70 off 105 deliveries. He was in the end the final Indian batter to fall because the guests had been bowled out for 245 after being invited to bat by Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma.

When requested about silencing trolls together with his superlative knock, Rahul revealed that staying away from social media and never getting too labored up by such negativity was his key to happiness.

“Don’t you ever feel retorting to trolls who are merciless and at times downright out of line when they criticise you?” Rahul was requested.

“What will I obtain (by) doing that? he countered.

“Logon ko jo bolna hoga bolenge (People will say what they need to). If you’re a public performer, efficiency is your solely yardstick to keep away from criticism.

“And about social media, the farther you stay away from it, the happier you will be,” a composed Rahul informed media individuals after scoring what batting legend Sunil Gavaskar described as one of many most interesting knocks by an Indian in Tests.

“If he (Gavaskar) has said that, it’s a huge compliment,” added Rahul, who was the one batter to cross fifty with Virat Kohli’s 38 the second-highest rating amongst Indian batters.

Rahul additionally mirrored on his time away from the sport as a result of damage earlier this 12 months, throughout which he labored on himself. Rahul had suffered a thigh damage throughout this 12 months’s Indian Premier League and would subsequently miss the World Test Championship closing in addition to the tour of West Indies.

“When you play worldwide cricket, you aren’t solely challenged as a participant but additionally as an individual as a result of you’ve a character.

“So, when I was away from the game, I worked on myself as a person. Obviously, there were people to  help me,” he stated.

Going again to the subject of on-line trolls, Rahul admitted that social media feedback might have a unfavorable impact on one’s mindset, but it surely was in the end up to the person to keep away from such negativity within the first place.

“One who’s hailing me in the present day was abusing me some months again.

“Anyone who says he isn’t affected by comments on social media is lying. But the more you stay away, the better it is for your mindset,” he stated.

As for South Africa’s stable response with the bat on the second day, with Dean Elgar’s magnificent 140 not out serving to the Proteas attain 256/5 at shut of play, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter felt the wicket turned simpler to bat because the match progressed.

Read: Elgar says he wasn’t trying to ‘show any level with Centurion ton

“Today within the morning, once we’d batted for these 7-Eight overs, I felt the wicket had eased a bit. But it could change right here rapidly with cracks opening out.

“The key to batting in the middle-order and playing long is not to plan too much,” reckoned the 31-year-old.

“You can’t plan that much. There’s a game situation that tells you how to play in that time and moment. You have to remain free and empty. You need to be aware that you might have to bat with tail,” he stated.