KL Rahul opens up about Koffee With Karan controversy, says it ¡®scarred me massively¡¯

Indian cricketer KL Rahul has opened up for the first time about one of the most controversial chapters in his life that almost derailed his career. Speaking on the WTF is with Nikhil Kamath podcast, Rahul recalled what happened on the now-infamous 2019 episode of Koffee With Karan (KWK), which also featured fellow cricketer Hardik Pandya.

CREDIT: BCCL

'Koffee With Karan changed me'

Rahul said that the fallout of the Koffee With Karan episode had a profound impact on his life and changed him forever.

¡°The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very shy, soft-spoken boy growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident. I had no problem being in a huge group of people. People will know I have been in a room of 100 people because I would talk to everyone,¡± Rahul said.

'All these never happened to me'

¡°Now I don¡¯t (do that) because that interview scarred me massively. Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school; I have never been punished in school. All this never happened to me. I didn¡¯t know how to handle it,¡± he added.

Koffee With Karan controversy

Rahul and Pandya were embroiled in an unprecedented controversy over some 'sexist' comments the duo made during their appearance on KWK.

CREDIT: Koffee With Karan

The duo was suspended from the Indian team for Australia and was slapped with a fine of Rs 20 lakh each. Though both Rahul and Pandya apologised and later made their comebacks to the Indian team, the KWK controversy has refused to die down and follows them even after five years.

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