Kashi Rudras captain Karan Sharma shares how a pivotal conversation with K L Rahul about prioritising the ‘process over results’ profoundly impacted his approach to cricket, helping him navigate slumps.
Key Points
- Karan Sharma credits KL Rahul’s advice on focusing on the ‘process over results’ for helping him navigate difficult phases in his cricketing career.
- Sharma initially struggled to grasp Rahul’s advice but later understood its importance, especially during slumps and competitive pressure.
- The all-rounder highlighted the value of learning from experienced players like Rinku Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, gaining different perspectives on the game.
UP T20 League side Kashi Rudras captain Karan Sharma says a conversation with K L Rahul during his stint with Lucknow Super Giants has made a lasting impact on his approach to cricket, with the senior batter’s advice to focus on the process rather than results helping him navigate difficult phases.
“With K L bhai, specifically about batting, there was a deep conversation…he told me one thing, that in cricket, or in runs in general, you don’t have to run behind; you keep following your process, and that thing will come to you,” Karan told PTI.
“That was such a thing that I constantly remind myself, and I realise that when you are going through a slump, or any situation, you should follow your batting process and not run behind (results),” he said.
Understanding the ‘Process’
Karan said Rahul’s advice did not immediately sink in but became clearer with time.
“That was something that I didn’t understand at that time, but later I understood what K L bhai was saying and what the importance of that was. He said it might be just another thing for him, but for me it was that he was saying the right thing, that I should focus on my process and not on the result,” he said.
The all-rounder said the lesson has helped him during the up-and-down nature of the UP T20 League, where Kashi Rudras have had a fluctuating campaign.
“We played very good, close matches. In the first match, we almost won, but after that we played three matches very well and then we lost three-four matches in a row and then we won. So I think the whole tournament was up and down, but it was fun,” he said.
“This is how you get to learn, in cricket especially. It was fun to learn a lot of things about the tournament, team environment and all these things, in which you have to back yourself and still believe when you are losing,” Karan said.
Learning From Experienced Players
He also highlighted the importance of learning from experienced players such as Rinku Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, saying their presence offers different perspectives of the game.
“You learn a lot of things from each other and I think as a cricketer you have to be in a constant growth phase of your life, so you get to learn a lot of things from them, especially with Rinku and Bhuvi bhai,” Karan said.
Karan, who has been among the leading six-hitters in the league, credited two years of work on his game and technical inputs from Pravin Amre for the improvement.
“I have been working on my game for the past two years, on things like how I can improve my ability, how I can maximise my potential. I took perspective from a couple of other coaches.
“In the off-season I went to Amre sir, I asked him about my game and what else can I add, so he made a few technical changes in my batting. All these things accumulate; only after that you see those little results. The little things that I changed in my technique made a difference in batting, so that is why it is still visible,” he said.
Future Aspirations And Idols
With the Ranji Trophy season approaching, Karan said the UP T20 League gives players valuable exposure to competitive match pressure before the switch to the longer format.
“UP T20 is just before the season, so I think as a cricketer, you get a competitive match, which is very important. There is a lot of pressure at every level. You play 10-12 matches here; you see those expectations in that pressure and then when you go to your actual domestic season, it obviously helps you.
“The main point for me is that I try to play as close as possible in my red ball and let the ball come; instead of white ball, you have to meet a little further for the longer sixes,” he said.
He maintained that he has always considered himself as an all-rounder and continues to work on his bowling despite fewer opportunities in T20 cricket.
“I have considered myself an all-rounder since childhood, I have never called myself a batsman completely,” he said. “This year I brought two more variations in my bowling for the T20, and I regularly put the ball in four-day matches.”
Karan’s long-term ambition is to play for India and win at least two World Cups.
“I have only one long-term goal, to play for India and win the World Cup, and I want to win at least two World Cups,” he said.
He also named Sachin Tendulkar as his childhood idol, saying his father’s admiration for the batting great sparked his own interest in cricket.
“Since childhood, my idol has always been Sachin sir, because my father was a big fan of Sachin sir… when I was a kid, I used to watch him all the time, and I also felt that his batting was so beautiful, so I used to try to imitate his batting.
“Obviously, you can’t go that far, but I used to try to be like him, and my nature was also like that,” Karan said.
Source: www.rediff.com
