Athiya Shetty took to her Instagram stories to shower praise on KL Rahul for his outstanding performance in India's World Cup opener against Australia. She posted a video with the caption, "Best guy ever," followed by a red heart emoticon, expressing her admiration for the cricketer.

Athiya Shetty's Instagram story. (Photo: athiyashetty/Instagram)

In a thrilling encounter, India secured a six-wicket victory over Australia in their opening World Cup match with 52 balls to spare. Australia, batting first, posted a target of 199 runs, primarily thanks to Ravindra Jadeja's exceptional spin performance.

In response, a composed partnership between Virat Kohli and Rahul played a crucial role in India securing a convincing win over Australia at Chennai's Chepauk stadium. This win marked a strong start to India's ICC Cricket World Cup campaign.

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Rahul's performance in the match drew widespread acclaim. He showcased his batting class, particularly against Australian spinner Adam Zampa. Rahul's elegant late cut, back cut, and extra cover drive in a single over left a lasting impression. He matched Kohli stroke for stroke and demonstrated his readiness for any challenge.

As the innings progressed, Rahul adopted a patient approach, focusing on rotating the strike and supporting Kohli in his quest for a century. Rahul's innings included eight fours and two sixes, with the second six sealing India's victory.

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During the post-match presentation, Rahul shed light on his partnership with Virat.

"Quite honestly, not a lot of conversation. I was just trying to catch my breath as I just had a shower. I thought I would get a good half an hour - [or] an hour's - break, put the feet up and just rest up. But I was out there in no time, so there was a bit of rush. I was just trying to get my breath back," Rahul said with a relief on his face.

Rahul talked about the game plan while batting with Virat and said they have to dig in for the partnership. He emphasised the challenges posed by the pitch, which required a patient and calculated approach.

"Virat said there's big help in the wicket, and [we] just have to play proper shots and play like it's Test cricket for some time and see where it goes," Rahul said.

India's next World Cup match is against Afghanistan on October 11, and Shubman Gill is expected to make his return to the squad for this crucial encounter.