Quotes from K. L. Rahul

Growing up, I played on matting wickets. I always enjoyed the pace and bounce and somewhere that has a big role or big effect on your game.

My only sentiment is to win.

I'm not a person that sets a long-term goal. My goals are on an everyday basis.

I've been successful when I have kept things simple - playing cricketing shots that I'm blessed with or I am good at playing.

That's where I would love to bat, and I have always batted at the top of the order. Numbers one and two are what I am most comfortable in.

Each time I go back to bat, I will want to get more and more runs.

Sometimes, you tend to hold back, maybe because you have lost a few wickets or something. But when I bat, I'm never shy of doing what my mind says.

I have always liked to attack the bowlers, and batting is all about getting runs.

Batting with Dhoni is always a dream for me.

While growing up, I used to go to the beach, as I used to find peace there.

When you get a chance to play, if you help them win a game, then the team will start believing that the player can also do this for the team. So building that confidence for yourself and the team is very important.

Every player goes through rough patches.

I have to be patient, keep performing, and be consistent.

Both my parents are teachers, and while they were always cool with what I did, they never let me take my education lightly.

With the new ball, against any bowler, it's important to see off the first few overs.

I was a shy kid but also very mischievous. Because I looked super innocent, no one could really call me out on my pranks.

We, as sportsmen, we're not used to just sitting at home and being at home all day. We want to go out. We want to play sport. We want to be in the gym, want to train; we want to hit balls, and when you're not physically able to do that, it's really tough. It starts playing on the mind a lot more.

You need to be mentally and physically very strong to go and perform in Australia.

I would be proud if I can score as many runs as Rahul Dravid by the time I retire and serve the country as long as he did.

If you are batting first as an opener, you give yourselves a couple of overs, see what's the wicket behaving, and then try to assess what a good score on that wicket would be, and then you plan accordingly.

If you are feeling light, and you are not feeling tired in your body, you can obviously concentrate more.

2018 was magical for me as far as IPL is concerned.

Having to play Test matches for a month and then switch to T20s in five days is not easy, but that's the kind of challenge I love to face.

About wicket-keeping, I have enjoyed whatever little bit I could do and contribute for RCB.