KL Rahul is ready to "challenge himself" as a batter and pounce on a quality Pakistan side in India's Asia Cup opener in his bid to exact the revenge of the humiliation suffered during T20 World Cup last year.
Rahul hasn't played any T20I in 2022 and will need to start as an opener with an attacking batting philosophy that the team has employed in recent times.
"Every team wants to start an event like World Cup with a win. Unfortunately, that did not happen for us last year. We were outplayed by a strong Pakistan team. So, it's a big opportunity (in Asia Cup) for us (to bounce back). It's a contest we are all looking forward to," vice-captain Rahul said in a press conference.
Rahul, himself, was sidelined for quite a while as he underwent surgery and also contracted COVID-19. The 30-year-old star batter made a comeback against Zimbabwe after a successful recovery and the also led the side to three-match ODI series win.
"I enter this tournament feeling a little more confident and I can focus on my skills. It does not matter how good I am batting in the nets. I want to challenge myself in the middle and this tournament gives opportunity," said Rahul, who has been a prolific run-getter in IPL over past four-five seasons.
"For me, the Zimbabwe tour was quite important, post the injury. The series helped me understand how much I recovered. It gives you a lot confidence and being out in the middle is always to assess your own form and how your body is feeling," Rahul said.
In the Asia Cup, both the teams squared up against each other 14 times and it is India that have an advantage, winning eight, while Pakistan managed to win five. And on Sunday, the stage is set for the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side to extend the lead. "We are all very excited. As players, we always look forward to this India-Pakistan clash in big tournaments. It's a great challenge for all of us to compete against a good team," Rahul said.