Team India wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul recalls a tale from Asia Cup 2023 when he made a dream comeback to international cricket with a sensational century. The Karnataka batsman revealed that he and then head coach Rahul Dravid had discussed about his celebration after scoring a century.
Rahul got injured while playing for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during the Indian Premier League 2023. He had to undergo surgery and rehabilitation before returning to the Indian team during the Asia Cup 2023. The right-handed batsman made his comeback even more special with a century against Pakistan.
I woke up and said the same thing to myself – KL Rahul
Speaking on 2Sloggers YouTube channel, KL Rahul talked about his emotional comeback during Asia Cup 2023. He revealed that he had spent four challenging months in rehabilitation following his injury, battling both physical recovery and criticism.
Rahul said, “This was right after my injury. I wasn’t even supposed to play this game. Shreyas was supposed to play, but he got back spasms and I stopped playing. During those four months, I was with the physio, going through a tough phase.”
He said, “Even before this, there was a lot of criticism. Every morning, I would wake up and tell myself the same thing – that I will become the best player in the world. That’s how I kept motivating myself to move forward.”
Rahul Dravid, our coach, was a little worried – KL Rahul
KL Rahul shared that Rahul Dravid had initially questioned why he turned his back towards the dressing room during the gesture. Rahul clarified that the pose came from a dream he had during four to five months of injury rehabilitation.
The wicketkeeper-batsman said that the celebration was not just for him, but was a representation of all those who supported him during that difficult period.
“The dressing room was on this side and I turned my back to this side while celebrating. Our coach Rahul Dravid was a bit upset and asked why I turned my back towards the dressing room,” Rahul said.
“I told him, ‘No sir, I didn’t mean any disrespect.’ During those four or five months when I was injured, I had a dream about this celebration – like the posture of a statue. It was not mine alone; It felt like it belonged to everyone. That’s why this festival is so special to me,” he added.
You will definitely like this side of KL Rahul.
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– Kunal Yadav (@Kunal_KLR) 28 October 2025
KL Rahul faced criticism for his batting while playing for Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow Supergiants signed KL Rahul as their first draft pick for ₹17 crore. In three seasons, he scored 1,410 runs at an average of 41.47 and led the team to third place in their maiden IPL 2022 campaign.
However, the next year proved disastrous. During LSG’s ninth match of IPL 2023 against RCB, Rahul suffered a serious thigh injury while fielding, due to which he had to undergo surgery. He later described this season as his “worst ever” in the IPL.
Despite the failure, Rahul made a memorable comeback with an unbeaten 111 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup later that year. Tensions reportedly increased between Rahul and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka in the next season and the two agreed to part ways by mutual consent ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
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