In a podcast on Red Bull's Decoding Athletes series, Rahul said, "We have our fingers crossed. I genuinely believe that we were a tad bit unlucky last year. We did play some really good cricket. A couple of the games we really couldn't close for a couple of reasons."
"It did hurt a little bit, so I'm hoping the change of name and jerseys, and a whole lot of other changes, will bring us some good fortune," he added.
Rahul also said that he is looking forward to play with West Indies legend Chris Gayle again. The 40-plus Windies superstar blasted 288 runs in seven games last season. Speaking about Gayle, Rahul said, "I obviously played with Chris [Gayle] for a long time. Having him around is great fun. I'm really looking forward to playing with him again. One year older, but every time he comes back, he keeps getting better and better."
"I really wonder how he does that. It's like he's always on the yacht, partying. And then he turns up and plays the way he does. For someone like me who spends three-four hours getting my batting and skill right, I really wonder how he does it. So, I'm really looking forward to having him in the team and hitting some sixes," he added.
Rahul also revealed that he is excited to watch Riley Meredith bowl since he can give the ball some real rip. "I'm looking forward to watching Riley Meredith bowl. I've watched him in a couple of games. He looks like he can bowl some proper pace. That's something I felt we were missing for a few seasons - someone who can intimidate the opposition with some pace. So I'm really looking forward to watch him bowl," he admitted.
Punjab Kings will take on Rajasthan Royals in their first game of IPL 2021 on April 12 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
--By A Cricket Correspondent