Work hard, follow your processes: Hyderabad’s Rahul looks back on past heartbreaks with positive outlook

A 367-day gap between First Class centuries can’t be easy to reckon with. Ask Hyderabad’s Rahul Radesh. After a remarkable maiden ton in the Ranji Trophy against Rajasthan last season, it took the same opponent for Radesh to push through for another ton on Sunday.

“I’ve been getting good starts, but sometimes you have to play a certain opposition to get to that milestone, so yeah, Rajasthan now has to be my favourite opposition,” he told Sportstar.

It was a knock of two halves from the 22-year-old keeper-batter: slow to begin with and later adeptly changing gears while pushing Hyderabad to a competitive score.

“I had to bat with the tail. The team’s message was that I take charge, find boundaries, and take calculated risks,” he explained.

Rahul, who disclosed that Hyderabad’s initial target was to get to 350, remained confident of breaking down Kunal Singh Rathore and Ajay Kookna’s resistance early on day three.

“We had them five down for around 120, when a small partnership began, which is normal. One wicket and we’ll be into the tail. Once the new ball comes [on Monday], we can attack and get those crucial wickets.”

Life hasn’t always been a smooth ride for Rahul, with one of the lowest moments in his budding career coming in the 2021-22 Vinoo Mankad Trophy, where he scored just two runs. That it was the Under-19 World Cup year did not help him in coming to terms with the lean run.

“It affects your mental health a lot when you are very young. You normally get just one year to get into the World Cup team, and I was really sad that I couldn’t do well that year,” he said.

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Despite that heartbreak, Rahul now looks back on that period with a positive outlook.

“Some things just have to happen; you can’t control everything. Now, at this age, I have come to understand that some things are meant to be. You have to take it as it comes, work hard, and follow your processes. Facing struggles at an early age just makes you tougher. Try to overcome those situations later on,” he said.

“I sat and worked through it. I had good coaches, strong backup in my family, and my mentors, which meant I could work it out. I had to come back stronger; there was no option,” he added, citing the assistance he received from former Ranji player Sumanth Kolla, former India fielding coach R. Sridhar, and his childhood coach Aruna Prasadh, among others.

Rahul is also hoping to make a breakthrough in the Indian Premier League this season, having tried out with the Mumbai Indians in 2023.

“The IPL auction is after the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. Hopefully, I can do well there and then look to get into the IPL.”

Published on Nov 09, 2025