Let’s discuss for six minutes KL Rahul’s carefree movies.

Although Subcontinent hitters are often born with powerful wrists, there must be more to the power than KL with his flip shots, Rahul achieves a unique mix of height and distance that allows him to send the ball far into the stands. It isn’t. Some guys have very powerful wrists in the present Indian batting lineup. none, however, is like Rahul.

Virat Kohli whips seamers over mid-wicket while letting his bottom hand dominate. He produces strength but not height. The outcome is often a four or a flat-six. Suryakumar Yadav has enticing wrists. The secret to his effectiveness, though, lies in the strange but useful postures he puts himself in, not just the strong wrist. He typically maintains a lofty posture, kind of dives beneath the ball, and scoops the ball using the bat’s long levers almost like a spoon.

Rahul, on the other hand, picks the length early and then stays remarkably motionless, making just a little planting motion with his front foot. His wrists do the rest. And boy, do they do a good job. Aakash Chopra, a former India opener, attempted to break down Rahul’s ability to produce power with only a flick of the wrist in a step-by-step fashion. “Rahul doesn’t move at the release point. He moves extremely quickly forward, taking care to keep his head upright. The bottom hand is then used to flip it over the square leg “On ESPNCricinfo, he had remarked.

Consider his maiden six against South Africa in the second T20I at Guwahati. The only thing Wayne Parnell may have done incorrectly was to pitch it a few inches closer to Rahul’s pads and on his side. The vice-captain of India decided that was enough. Instead of whipping it hard like Kohli, he did so gently like Rahul. However, the outcome was worthy of several replays. The ball didn’t come off the centre of his bat, but it still easily soared over the ropes.

Rahul did the same against Anrich Nortje in the first over after the powerplay. Rahul may have used a bit more pressure with his whip than the previous six, but that was the only difference. The result, however, remained the same.

A sign that Rahul is in peak form is often the flip off his pads for a six early in the innings. He had previously used a similar kind of flip against Tim Southee in an IPL 2022 match for LSG versus KKR. That time, his shot resembled a scoop more. The other elements, however, remained constant: a steady head, little forward foot movement, and height and distance created by his wrists. In the game, he had amassed an unblemished 68 points off of 51.

Rahul’s shot is not a new improvement to his game. In a T20I in Auckland in 2020, he had struck Southee in the second tier with the same delicate flip. The most notable motion there was the twist of his wrist. His wrists activated like an automatic switch, enabling him to once again do the most with the least amount of effort. He made 56 out of 27 balls.

On Sunday, he managed 57 off of 28. The ease with which he was striking the ball two days after making his slowest T20I fifty on a very different surface and under quite different conditions demonstrated his versatility.

“We all have a certain talent that we have had from birth, which is why we are competing for our nation. We work out a lot. I’ve practised that shot a lot, and it feels good when it goes in during a game. It is (Instinctive) (Instinctive). In T20 cricket, it’s important to attempt to position yourself so you can smash sixes, and I aim to do that. There isn’t much time when bowlers are bowling at 145 km/h. It is a combination of hard effort over time and instinct “Rahul stated after India’s 16-run victory against South Africa in Guwahati to complete the three-match series.

In the first T20I match against Australia in Mohali, Rahul illustrated what he had just stated. He can play that jaw-dropping flip even without the ball on his pads. He is capable of walking over his stumps while retaining great balance, a steady head, and the ability to make his wrists produce power, as he did against Josh Hazlewood. It travelled 92 metres with that ball.

“A demand was made to move at a faster striking rate. When you bat first, you should allow yourself a few overs to analyse the situation, choose what shots you can play, and consult your partner. You kind of set a goal for yourself and then attempt to play to that. We’ve always tried to be more daring, take more chances, and “said he.

It’s encouraging for India that Rahul is getting close to his offensive peak before the T20 World Cup.

Source: Hindustan Times