KL Rahul, a prominent figure in Indian cricket, has often been a target of criticism for his performances and scoring rates. In a candid conversation, the star wicketkeeper-batter opened up about the online trolling and hate he has faced on social media. While Rahul initially handled the negativity well, he revealed that the relentless abuse he received over the past few years, even when not playing, started to affect him. "I used to be good at handling trolling. I didn’t care much initially, but I was younger back then. A couple of years ago, however, I was exposed to a lot of trolling. Whether I sat or stood, I got trolled," Rahul shared on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath's YouTube Channel.
Rahul's most recent international outing was during the ODI series against Sri Lanka, where he managed just 31 runs across two innings. Despite a strong showing in last year’s ICC Cricket World Cup, scoring 452 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.33, his knock of 66 in 107 balls during the final against Australia drew criticism as India lost by six wickets, failing to defend a total of 241 runs.
In the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), Rahul also faced scrutiny for his strike rate, despite finishing among the top 10 run-scorers with 520 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.14, including four fifties. His strike rate of 136.12 was notably lower compared to veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as well as younger stars like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Rishabh Pant, making him a subject of online trolling.
Rahul also reflected on the 2019 controversy, when he and Hardik Pandya were suspended and fined Rs 20 lakh for Pandya's controversial comments on "Koffee With Karan." Though the suspension was short-lived, Rahul admitted that it had a lasting impact on him, noting that he had "never been suspended in school" before.