Watch: KL Rahul exposes the dark side of Social Media Trolling

KL Rahul has had a difficult year as the Indian batsman experienced intense trolling on social media as a result of a dismal performance in the Test series against Australia. Rahul struggled to establish any form, scoring just 37 runs in his first two games. He was eventually benched before the third Test.

While his performance in ODIs did improve, the debate about his batting has lingered. His strike rate in the current season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has received a great deal of attention. Not just cricket fans but also a number of ex-players participated in these discussions.

Rahul talked openly about his experiences with trolls over the previous year and how they changed his outlook on cricket on an episode of “The Ranveer Show” podcast.

“When we cricketers actually need assistance, people feel they can or have the authority to criticise or say anything they want, and that sometimes impacts me and a lot of the other boys as well. Just consider what that individual is experiencing, Rahul said at the podcast.

No one among us desires to perform poorly. This is our life. All we do is this. I’ve already stated that I am only familiar with cricket. That’s all I do,” he said. Why would someone think that I am not taking my game seriously or trying hard enough? Unfortunately, there is no link in sports. Like I said, you may work hard; I know I did, but the outcome wasn’t what I wanted,” he continued.

Due to an on-field injury, Rahul was ruled out of the IPL 2023 after only a few games.