Stubbs praises KL Rahul’s match-winning knock, calls him “seriously good player” in top form

“Rahul mentioned it later — this is his home ground. He grew up playing here, so he knows how to approach the game and maintain a positive mindset throughout the innings. He kept encouraging me to look straight, and that really boosted my confidence,” Stubbs recounted.

Stubbs praises KL Rahul’s match-winning knock, calls him “seriously good player” in top form

Hyderabad: Tristan Stubbs of Delhi Capitals said that he had the best seat when the seasoned campaigner and India star K.L. Rahul played a blinder to help the team cross the line against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday night.

---

“Rahul said it afterwards; this is his ground. He has grown up here, so he knows how to play and stay positive throughout the innings. He kept enforcing and reminding me to look straight and that gave me confidence,” Stubbs recalled.

“Rahul can do anything. He’s a seriously good player and he’s in really good form. So, if he can get on a really good wicket, we will be able to see his full potential,” he said.

“I had sort of had old school cricket in mind and chatted with Faf (du Plessis). We were like, it’s an old school game. You set it up and then you look to get 50 off the last five. But, KL did his thing, so I
didn’t have to take a risk early on,” Stubbs said in the post-match briefing.

“And then when we sort of got a sniff, I joined him on the act and we got the game over the line,” he said.

When asked about Yadav and Nigam’s performances with the ball and the team’s approach in the net sessions, Stubbs revealed that it had been so good to watch them perform well for the team.

“Kuldeep actually asked to bowl to me (in the nets) because the last time he bowled to me was in the World Cup final. Honestly, if you can get through that next session, you’re in a really good position,” he
said. “You feel really confident because they are bowling really well and then if you walk out of that session feeling good, you are in a good space,” he added.

Talking about his role, Stubbs said the roles had been pretty different. “I feel international cricket can sort of be classed as old school cricket because the scores aren’t as big as they are here. So you sort of always in that space,” he said.

“It’s sort of just falls back on past experiences. It’s tough playing in different situations, but it’s cricket and that’s why we love it,” Stubbs concluded.