Ind vs Eng 3rd Test | ‘I worked with F1 coaches’: KL Rahul on improving his mental agility

The star Indian batter, who got a classical century on Day Three of the Lord’s Test on Saturday, has incorporated mental training techniques used in F1 into his cricket preparation, particularly focusing on improving reaction time. Talking to the media after scoring his second century at the hallowed Lord’s, Rahul said that he had spent time with a specialist, who works with F1 drivers and other high-performance athletes, to implement drills involving mental exercises and to enhance his focus and decision-making under pressure.

Rahul said that he had travelled to Salzburg, Austria, the Red Bull team’s base for training, which involved mental drills and exercises that are regularly used in F1 to improve reaction time and mental agility. The experienced Indian batter said that this helped him improve performance and consistency.  
“I have seen this in Formula One quite a lot. I picked this up from one of the guys that I worked with in Salzburg. I had the opportunity to go there and work with some of the coaches. Working with the elite Formula One guys and other adventure sports people, who require a lot of this mental side of the game, has helped me a lot.”

There is no doubt that cricket has come a long way across centuries from being  just a game played in an English village with a bat, ball and three stumps on a sunny Sunday. Over many decades, cricket has gradually evolved into a highly competitive and professional sport. There was a time when improving cricket skills was the main focus. 

Fatigue, a problem

Then, extensive physical training gained prominence, which has now become highly scientific. Currently, mental preparation has taken centre stage. Cricket legends of eras  gone by, like Don Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar and Viv Richards, to name a few, probably required nothing more than a few drills to remain fit. Yet, there was never a doubt about their mental toughness. But in the modern era, with so much cricket being played year-round in different formats and conditions, it’s natural to feel fatigued and that’s where the mental training comes into play. That’s where terms like workload management and recovery methods have become prominent. And now Rahul has taken it to a new level by using ultra-modern training methods from an entirely different sport to enhance mental agility and reaction time, especially while facing fast bowling.
         
In the past, the BCCI has hired mental conditioning coaches, the best known among them being South African Paddy Upton, who was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni. However, Rahul may have now shown the way forward to improve mental health on an individual level.

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