Mangalorean Cricketer KL Rahul sold to Kings XI Punjab for whopping Rs 11 cr in IPL auction

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 27, 2018: Mangaluru based cricketer KL Rahul was bought by Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs 11 crore in the IPL Auction on Saturday, January 27th. He played for Royal Challengers Bangalore up until last year but they did not make any effort to retain him through RTM as KXIP, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

 

He is ability to open the batting as well play in the middle-order along with the wicketkeeping skills, make Rahul a huge asset for any team. Rahul was expected to fetch the big bucks after a sensational run for India as an opener. In 2016, he had marked his arrival in T20 Internationals with a cracking hundred against West Indies in USA.

Rahul was a part of India’s squad for the 2010 Under-19 World Cup and made his first-class debut later that year. He was left out of the squad for the succeeding season, but returned for the 2012-13 season. KL Rahul is just 25 and has added to his name some massive numbers. KL Rahul’s Test debut was something to be remembered.

The selectors and the captain decided to give Rahul a go at his usual opening spot in the Sydney Test after series had already crumbled. He proved his mettle and stroked a patient century, grabbing attention and the eventually cementing his place in the national team. Rahul was selected in the limited-overs squads to Zimbabwe and West Indies in mid-2016. KL Rahul showed his versatility across all formats scoring a hundred each on ODI and T20I debut, after a fine run in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Mentored by Rahul Dravid, this right-hander shares more than just one trait with the former captain. Though the young right-hander needs to work a tad bit on his nerves and with an all-conditions’ technique to go with it. He is a versatile batsman who can comfortably adapt to different roles and playing conditions. He is indispensable at number, but for his untimely injuries, the player always had to take a backseat. As a result, he had to make way for the likes of Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya and now Dinesh Karthik to fill up the middle order for India. But this time, the Mangalorean player has to make sure he etches his name in the big tournament coming in because stakes are high on him this season.