KL Rahul reveals his equation with Hardik Pandya post Koffee with Karan controversy

Mumbai: KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya had found themselves amid a raging controversy due to certain controversial remarks which they made on a popular TV show, earlier this year.

Both the cricketers had to face massive backlash on the social media after their appearance on the show. KL Rahul has opened up on the incident's impact on his life and his relation with compatriot Pandya. The right-hander has not managed to cement his spot in the Indian batting order.

The 27-year-old has revealed that after the uproar, he did feel bitter and lost and the turn of events did bother him, but when the dust settled, he learnt from the episode and moved on.

“I won’t lie. I was bitter for a bit; it affected and bothered me a lot. I was angry, but I came out of it all as a more accepting person. I understood that certain things are sensitive, and no matter what you do, certain people will find the bad in you,” Rahul told TOI.

The right-hander has not managed to cement his spot in the Indian batting order. He also said that he has learnt to focus more on the game and give it all he has.

“I need to focus more on cricket, spend more time in the gym, on the field — practising and training. It made me more focussed on my profession and what I really need to do. As I told you before, cricket is the only thing I am good at and there’s nothing else I can do to survive, so I need to give it all I have,” he added.

Speaking about his equation with Hardik, Rahul said that initially both of them switched off and spent time with family. However, he also added that Hardik is still good friends with him and that they enjoy each other’s company.

“It was hard for both of us. We did speak to each other about it while this whole process was on (investigation). He was with his family and friends and I was with my people. We switched off from the outside world for those few weeks. We learnt from the situation, accepted it, and now we are back to being good friends. We literally spend 300 days together... travelling and playing cricket. Hardik is still a good friend and we enjoy each other’s company,” Rahul said.