New Delhi. KL Rahul can open in the first Test match against Australia. However, Rahul is facing tough competition from Abhimanyu Easwaran. Rahul has revealed that he worked 'very hard' to prove his ability to hit big shots at the beginning of his career. But seeing veterans Rahul Dravid and Kane Williamson succeed in white-ball formats despite sticking to their natural game changed his perspective. And helped him grow as a player. Rahul admitted that in his younger days, he often tried to be something he was not.

KL Rahul said in an interview with 'Star Sports', 'I think I have grown as a person and a player. As a young player, I tried very hard to become what I was not. Tried to hit big sixes so that I could prove that I could do it. It was not natural. What changed for me was watching Rahul Dravid in one of the IPL seasons around 2011 or 2012. He stuck to his technique and was one of the best batsmen. Seeing him perform well in ODIs and T20 cricket without changing his game changed something in me.'

KL Rahul has played 53 Tests.
32-year-old Rahul, who played 53 Tests, 77 ODIs, and 72 T20 Internationals for India, spent time in the dressing room with Williamson, one of the best batsmen in modern cricket, while being associated with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Seeing both Williamson and Dravid, Rahul realized that he could be successful in T20 cricket while sticking to his natural game. He said, 'I also spent time with Kane Williamson in Sunrisers. He did not get many chances but then he went back and played great innings in white ball cricket for New Zealand.'

'Playing with these players boosted my confidence'
KL Rahul said, 'Seeing Dravid and Williamson, I realized that I do not need to try so hard. I have some qualities that I can use to achieve success in T20 cricket.' Rahul started his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2013. He spent two seasons at Sunrisers before returning to the Bangalore franchise in 2016. He played with players like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in RCB, which boosted his confidence.

'I got the guidance of Virat and AB in IPL'
KL Rahul said, 'Once I adopted that mindset, things went right for me. In the 2016 IPL, I got the guidance of Virat and AB who are the best T20 players. Talking to them about my game during training made a difference. Once the performance got good, the confidence started increasing.' Rahul scored a half-century in 14 balls for Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in the 2018 IPL season, who spent Rs 11 crore for him.