KL Rahul's emotional take on social media trolling: ‘It affects me, this is out life’

KL Rahul has admitted that the social media trolling he has faced over the past year has affected him at times.

Rahul’s form for Team India has not been at its best over the past few months, and his struggles during the Board-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year further dampened his case. In the two Tests he played during the series, the Indian opener could only manage 38 runs at an average of 12.66 before getting dropped and making way for Shubman Gill.

Before being ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Rahul received massive criticism for his strike-rate. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) scored 274 runs in nine matches but his strike-rate was 113.22. His time in the ongoing competition was cut short after suffering an injury. He eventually underwent surgery on his right thigh, which ruled him out of India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia next month in England. The grand finale is scheduled to begin on June 7 and will be played at The Oval, London.

Speaking on The Ranveer Show, Rahul said that the social media trolling did disturb him and some of the other players. The 31-year-old cricketer added that none of the cricketers want to perform badly and accepted that it was part of their life.

“That's something that sometimes affects me and affects a lot of the other boys as well that when we athletes truly need support, people feel they can or have the power to comment or say what they want. Just see what that person is going through,” said Rahul.

“None of us wants to perform badly. This is our life. This is all we do. Like I said, I don't know anything else apart from cricket.

“That's the only thing I do. Why would anyone assume that I am not serious about my game or that I am not working hard enough? And unfortunately in sports, there is no connection. Like I said you can work hard, like I work hard but the result didn't go my way,” added Rahul.

Rahul, who lost India’s vice-captaincy in Tests after he was dropped in the series against Australia earlier this year, also earlier lost in place in India’s white-ball squad as well, following a forgettable T20 World Cup in Australia, where India lost to eventual champions England by 10 wickets in the semi-final.

Meanwhile, Rahul has also received some support in these tough days, which he acknowledged. “I'm very grateful. I know the last few months haven't been great for me on the field, and the kind of support I've gotten tells that I've done something right in my life. Not just as a cricketer, but also as a person. It feels close to my heart; that's when you know that you had a good impact on people,” Rahul added.