Keeping wicket can be backbreaking work but KL Rahul says it gave him the ideal vantage point to assess a tricky surface at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and produce a match-winning knock in Delhi's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday.
The Capitals' stumper-batsman kept wicket for 20 overs before smashing an unbeaten 93 off 53 balls to maintain their unbeaten start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Rahul was scoring at a run-a-ball rate until reaching 29, at which point he accelerated to bring up his second successive fifty of the tournament as Delhi coasted to a six-wicket victory, chasing down 164 with 13 balls to spare. "It was a slightly tricky wicket but what helped me was being behind the stumps for 20 overs, watching how the wicket played," player of the match Rahul said.
"While wicketkeeping I figured that the ball sat in the wicket a little bit, but it was consistent throughout." Bengaluru-born Rahul said he had a fair idea about which areas to target when he walked out as number four after Delhi lost both their openers inside 13 deliveries of their innings.
"I knew what my shots are. I just wanted to get off to a good start, be aggressive initially and assess it from there. "If I was trying to hit a big six, I knew what pockets to target. "Wicketkeeping gave me a feeler for how the other batters played, where were they dismissed and where did they hit those sixes. "Those cues from behind the stumps really helped me." Tristan Stubbs, who made 38 not out, said it was no surprise to see Rahul excelling at the venue. "I had the best seat," the South African said. "He has grown up here, so he knows how to play and stayed positive throughout the innings. "He kept enforcing and reminding me to look straight and that gave me confidence."
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