India star KL Rahul admitted thinking about his retirement but said he’s still ‘some time away’ from acting on it. The ODI and Test regular, in an interaction with England great Kevin Pietersen, said that
it won’t be difficult for him to hang up his boots, for he doesn’t consider himself too important.
Rahul, 33, opens in Tests and plays the crucial number five/six role in ODIs. Considered one of the most talented players in the world, at least technically, Rahul suffered bouts with inconsistency in the first half of his career, and it is only since around 2022 that he has regained his place as one of the most important players for both set-ups.
“I’ve (thought about it). I don’t think it’s (retirement) gonna be that difficult,” Rahul told Pietersen on his YouTube channel. “If you’re honest with yourself, when it’s time, it’s time. And there’s no point dragging it. Obviously, I’m some time away.”
He said his priorities changed since he and Athiya Shetty had their first-born daughter, Evaarah, last year.
“Just quit,” Rahul said of retirement. “Just enjoy the stuff that you’ve got and you have your family and just do that… I try and tell myself that I’m not that important. Cricket in our country will carry on. Cricket in the world will carry on. There are more important things in life and I think this mindset I’ve always had, but ever since I’ve had my first baby, it’s just like, the way you look at life is completely different,” he added.
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Tests, Rahul has emerged as a senior figurehead for a transitioning team.
‘Hardest battle’
Rahul also spoke about injuries, which also hindered the first half of his career, saying that they present the ‘hardest mental battle’ for a cricketer.
“There have been times when I’m injured and I’ve been injured so many times and that’s the hardest battle that you have to face. It’s not the pain that the physio puts you through or the surgeon puts you through,” he said. “It’s the mental battle where your mind just gives up. When it happens so many times, your mind is just like, ‘You’ve done enough, you’ve been lucky enough that cricket’s given you enough money. You can survive for the next how many ever years’,” he said.
