KL Rahul recalls difficult memories as he returns to Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium for England clash

Team India has landed in Lucknow to play their next big match of the ICC World Cup 2023 against defending champions England. Ekana Stadium is KL Rahul’s home ground when he plays for his IPL team Lucknow Super Giants as skipper, spoke about how this ground taught him life lessons and bittersweet memories.

The last match he played at the Lucknow Stadium was when he suffered a serious thigh injury and was ruled out of the tournament, and had to go under the knife. The takeover was something that everyone was talking about as the Indian team and management had around seven months to finalize the ICC World Cup squad and it was difficult to find a replacement for Rahul’s position at number 1. 4.

“I came on the field today and had to run a bit,” Rahul told BCCI.tv after India’s practice session on Friday afternoon. “I told my coach, Rajinikanth Sivagnanam, sir, that my heart was pounding, because the last time I was here, I didn’t have such a great experience, nor such a great moment in my career. It was a bit bittersweet.

“But I started to see the best of what was happening much later, when I was in Bangalore, and I realized that it was coming at a time when I really needed to get away from the game, because there was a lot going on mentally inside me – and, for the first time in my career, I felt like I didn’t have any answers.”

On Sunday, he wants to create memories that he will only remember for good as India take on England in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. “Obviously, I am very happy to be back here in Lucknow and to change these memories and to make new and happy ones,” he said. “Obviously we’re playing a very strong England team – they’re the champion team, the defending champions – so I’m looking forward to Sunday.”