Anil Kumble allows players to take their own decisions: KL Rahul

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KL Rahul, the India opener, is pleased that Anil Kumble, the new head coach of the national set-up, has empowered the players with more authority by allowing them to take their own decisions. Rahul, who is a part of the Indian squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies, is presently attending the preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore under Kumble's guidance.

"We had a few interactions with him (Kumble) and he has stressed on a few things -- he has made it clear that he will let the boys take decisions by themselves. When we have trouble or any queries and we need to ask, we can go up to him, and it is a wonderful set-up," Rahul was quoted as saying by BCCI.tv on Friday (July 1).

"It's a great boost for a young team like ours to have a legend like Kumble in the set-up who will mentor and coach us. He is sharing with us the experiences that he has had in his cricketing career," Rahul added.

Kumble snared 619 wickets in 132 Tests and captained the national team in the format. He was also known for his commitment and fighting spirit during his illustrious career. On his part, Rahul said that the current Indian cricketers can gain valuable insights from the former legspinner.

"He is somebody who has so much cricketing knowledge and has spent so much time in international cricket. He is an ideal guy for us to look up to. We are looking forward to working with Kumble and getting better personally and also as a team."

Rahul was in prime form during the recent tour of Zimbabwe, where he compiled a hundred on his One-Day International (ODI) debut. However, the opening batsman has always been earmarked for success in Tests. He has already shown flashes of brilliance in white flannels with two centuries to his name.

Rahul stated that he is looking forward to representing his country in Test cricket again. He also noted that the conditioning camp held in Bangalore will help in their preparation for the tour of West Indies.

"Test cricket is always a lot more challenging than the rest of the formats and we enjoy playing Tests. It's been a while since I played a Test (he last played a Test against Sri Lanka in August 2015) and to see the white clothes again, puts a smile on my face.

"We will like to use the next two-three weeks before the first Test well. We have a couple of practice games and therefore we have a lot of time on our hands. We can make the best use of the time and prepare well. We should be prepared well before going to West Indies and have a series victory under our belt," Rahul summed up.