NEW DELHI: It has been a rollercoaster ride for KL Rahul in ODIs over the past one and a half years. He has been India’s mainstay in the middle-order and with the gloves behind the wicket.
Kl Rahul delivered a stellar performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 452 runs in 11 matches at an impressive average of 75.33. In the Champions Trophy, he again showed his class. His tally of 136 runs in the tournament might not win him many awards, but his importance to India in the middle order was immense. In the semifinal against Australia, he finished unbeaten on 42 and then steered India to their back-to-back ICC titles, finishing unbeaten on 34 off 33 balls against New Zealand in the final.
The right-hander was not just outstanding with the bat but also proved invaluable behind the stumps — guiding bowlers, assisting Rohit Sharma with DRS calls, and maintaining composure under pressure.
The emotions were raw and visible when KL Rahul finally lifted the Champions Trophy — his maiden ICC title. He knew exactly how much it meant to him.
However, despite his efforts, he was overlooked for the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies — a tournament India went on to win.
Who’s that IPL player?
Once an all-format mainstay, KL Rahul is once again digging deep to force his way back into India’s T20I setup. In fact, it seems he is already chasing another piece of ICC silverware — the 2026 T20 World Cup. The mega event is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka between February and March 2026.
Will he make it back into India’s T20I squad? Looking at his current form, the answer seems increasingly positive.
KL Rahul is in ominous touch — playing lofted drives, straight shots, pulls, and flicks — and is as sharp as ever behind the stumps. With 364 runs in 8 matches, Rahul is currently the highest run-getter for his team, Delhi Capitals, in IPL 2025.
Delhi Capitals mentor and former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen declared KL Rahul as his “first-choice to bat at No. 4 for India.”
“I back KL at No. 4 for India in T20 cricket,” Pietersen told reporters after the Delhi Capitals’ loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Delhi.
“You’ve got Rohit and Yashasvi — you’ve got Surya, who bats at the top, you’ve got all of these guys. But the way KL Rahul is playing cricket now, he would be my first choice to bat at four and keep wicket for India,” Pietersen said.
“KL has been playing in a very positive manner since mid to late last year. We saw how he finished off a couple of games for India and almost sealed the deal for you guys in the Champions Trophy in Dubai. I’ve had a lot of incredibly brilliant conversations with him about batting — a lot of deep and meaningful conversations — because when you grow up as a youngster like he did, you’re taught defence, elbow up, playing in the V.
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Should KL Rahul be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the T20 format?
“Then, all of a sudden, in your 30s, you’ve got to change and become a different kind of player for a format that’s evolving all the time. It’s very, very difficult. The way he has accepted that he needed to change, and the way he has changed, is great credit to the person he is.
“He is so positive — the way he practices, the way he trains, the way he thinks about the game, and also the way he talks about the game,” Pietersen said.
KL Rahul (41 off 39 balls) top-scored for Delhi Capitals, helping his side post a competitive total of 162/8 in 20 overs.
In response, Krunal Pandya and Virat Kohli struck half-centuries to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.
The duo stitched together a 119-run partnership off 84 balls as RCB chased down the 163-run target in 18.3 overs, extending their unbeaten run away from home.
With the win, RCB notched up their seventh victory in 10 games, while Delhi Capitals suffered only their third loss in nine matches. Both teams remain firmly on track for a place in the playoffs.
