KL Rahul: More than my place in Team India, want to take care of my body

India opening batsman KL Rahul in the city yesterday The Bangalore batsman missed the IPL due to a shoulder injury PicBipin KokateHe was Indias braveheart fighting the pain with an injured left shoulder during the Test series at home against Australia Karnataka batsman KL Rahul amassed 393 runs at 6550 including six fifties in seven innings to finish as Indias secondhighest run getter in the fourmatch series However just as the runs from his willow have been consistent so have injuries leaving the opener rather frustrated as he hasnt faced a ball since hitting the winning runs in the fourth Test at DharamsalaIn an interview with midday Rahul 25 recalled how a similar injury bogged him down in his younger days before the experience of playing in the Red Bull Campus Cricket T20 tourney helped him make a comeback to the Ranji Trophy team and subsequently get picked for IPL outfit Royal Challengers BangaloreExcerptsHow frustrating is it for you to keep getting injured as frequently as you doIts not nice to get injured so often at the age of 2425 and especially since Ive been in great form for the last 12 months Im playing all the three formats for my country Now is the time I want to start playing more games I am doing everything right I am taking care of my fitness and nutrition but somehow I still keep getting injured Thats very frustratingDo you fear that frequent injuries could cost you your place in the Indian teamOf course Theres always that doubt not just with injury but with my performance as well But its just a very small part of my brain that has these doubts More than doubting my place in the team I want to take care of my body I know that if am 100 per cent fit both physically and mentally Ill keep performing Its hard to comeback after injury because I have that doubt that I might get injured again All these doubts play on my mind These are the mental battles I face more than whether I am going to get a zero or a 100How do you motivate yourself to stay away from such doubtsI am very positive person never one who whines The thought of me coming back and hitting the ball from the middle and into the stands is what keeps me going and wakes me up in the morning Now when I will watch the ICC Champions Trophy my heart and my body will burn more with desire That will push me to get fitter and stronger soonerWhats the update on your shoulder injuryIts healed well This whole month will go in physiotherapy and rehabilitation followed by a more month of training In the second or third week of July I should be able to start playing Its a big surgery so Id rather give myself one or two weeks extra to be completely confidentWhats the best advice you have received till dateIt was last year from AB de Villiers I got three or four backtoback fifties in the IPL Once I was sitting with him very disappointed that I couldnt finish a game I was unable to convert the fifties or sixties into bigger scores I always felt I could get a 100 or 110 for my team but I would get out on 50 or 60 which wasnt helping the team and we lost a couple of games I was frustrated and felt like banging my head against the wall Thats when AB told me that I shouldnt be chasing numbers He told me that if I kept things simple good things would come to me He said cricket is a very simple game and the more you complicate it the harder it gets The simpler you keep things the game will give you more in return he saidMany of Indias good results the recent home season have been mainly due to your contribution with the bat How have you evolved as a batsmanIve tried to keep things simple in my head and in my technique I go out there and try to assess the conditions and see what best I can do for the team and play out my roles and responsibilities to the best I can Ive been playing in the Test team for the last two years and I realised that as an opening batsman I have a big responsibility to make sure that my team gets off to a good start A big part of it is because I am enjoying that responsibility Ive gone out there and played aggressive cricket with a lot of freedom A few times I got out playing irresponsible shots but at that time I felt that time that was the best shot and I didnt execute it properly but it doesnt mean the next time I go out there I wont play the same shot Ive got a lot backing from the team coach and captainA lot of former players such as Rahul Dravid have spoken very highly of you Does that add to the pressure of performing or is that fodder for your performanceIt feels good that senior cricketers like Dravid talk very highly about me It pushes me to get better I feel a sense of responsibility that when a legend like that gives you a compliment you have to prove them right I enjoy being that person where the team looks up to youDo you like when somebody advises you or do you like playing your own game on the fieldI like to be my own self I dont mind getting an advice or two but I will still go out there and think what I feel is the best I have played enough cricket to understand how to play each situation If I am ever in a situation where I dont know what to do then I will go to my seniors or my coach and try to get his adviceTheres a lot of news going around now about cricket matches being fixed How do you feel when you read such kind of storiesIt is hurtful man You dont want to disrespect the game that has given us everything To read things about match fixing and people doing it it hurts a lot For people it is easy to say that when somebody gets out or bowls a noball or when a team goes from 1201 to 135 all out the easiest to say is that this match is fixed You dont want people and viewers to watch the game thinking or having this thought that there is something fishy happening Its a sport it happens The sooner people understand that a team game cannot be fixed the better it is for the sportYouve been making quite a few style statements with your tattoos and hair styles Is that also part of your personalityI dont think I have to try to do anything This is who I am Everybody likes to dress well and look cool I dont have to show or prove to anybody I am not somebody who does things for people What people say doesnt matter to me much I want to be a guy who does good but it doesnt always be that wayWhyNow that I am not playing cricket and I have all the time in the world people really think that I am actually taken a break and I am on a vacation thats why I am not playing IPL To such people who dont know anything about the sport you cant say anything Harsh judgments from people is not a reflection about me its a reflection about themselves and how much understanding they have about life I laugh it off