“Come by the pool”: When KL Rahul met Chris Gayle for guidance after India dropped him during West Indies tour 2019

KL Rahul met Chris Gayle: The Indian batter talked about a motivating conversation the Universe Boss from India’s tour of West Indies 2019.

India batter KL Rahul has represented Royal Challengers Bangalore twice in the Indian Premier League in 2013 and 2016. He had then shared the dressing room with some legendary players. During IPL 2016, in particular, RCB had a Top Five comprising of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson and KL Rahul.

After RCB, both of them played together for Punjab Kings (Kings XI Punjab) as well. In the 2018 season, both of them burned the stage on fire.

“We have played together for a few years now at RCB and now we are together. We enjoy each other’s company. A great human being. So much fun to be around. A complete entertainer,” Rahul said in a presser during IPL 2018.

When KL Rahul met Chris Gayle for guidance after India dropped him during West Indies tour

On the show “Breakfast with Champions” with Gaurav Kapur, Rahul shared an incident involving Gayle. Rahul, who was not only a part of India’s squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 but was also their third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, had failed to find a spot in the Playing XI on the subsequent tour of West Indies.

A frustrated Rahul then messaged Gayle, who was having a drink near the pool, ahead of his 300th ODI the next day.

 

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“I was messaging him [Gayle], he said to come by the pool, I’m having a drink. It was his 300th game the next day, so he was very happy and he had some friends over,” Rahul said.

“So I went, I was by the pool. He came, sat with me, spoke to me like why you are not playing and this and that.”

Rahul revealed that Gayle gave him some golden advice in order to not get dropped from the side. Gayle also said that it was in “Rahul’s own hands” to get dropped from the side or not.

“If 70s are not enough, get 150, get 200 if that’s not enough. And that’s how you need to look at things. If 600-run IPL season is not enough then get 800,” Rahul revealed Gayle’s suggestion.

“Or like if you’re getting 50s, 60s in the World Cup, you should have converted and gotten 100-120s. Then no one has the power to drop you.”

Readers must note that it was the same series when Gayle had announced his international retirement after playing his 301st ODI. However, soon after the match, Gayle had made a U-turn saying that he is still available for West Indies.