KL Rahul, the Indian batter, has opened up about the controversy that led to his suspension by the BCCI in 2019. The controversy erupted after Rahul and his teammate Hardik Pandya made inappropriate and offensive comments on the television show “Koffee With Karan.”
The incident occurred while Rahul and Pandya were in Australia for a cricket tour. The backlash from the public forced them to cut short their tour and return to India.
In a recent interview on Nikhil Kamath’s YouTube podcast, Rahul candidly discussed the impact of the controversy on his life. He admitted that the experience left him deeply scarred and changed him as a person.
“I used to be good with trolling. I used to think I don’t care. I was much younger back then. Couple of years back, I was exposed to a lot of trolling. If I sat I got trolled, If I stood I got trolled,” Rahul said.
“The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very soft-spoken person growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident. People will know I have been in a room of 100 people.”
“Now I don’t because that interview scarred me massively. Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, punished in school. I don’t know how to handle it. I did mischief in schools but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have come,” he added.
Rahul’s comments highlight the profound impact that social media and public scrutiny can have on athletes. The controversy forced him to confront his own behavior and the consequences of his actions.
Rahul is currently preparing for the 2024 Duleep Trophy, aiming to secure a spot in the Indian Test squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh. The experience of the controversy has undoubtedly shaped his approach to the game and his life off the field.
