We are witnessing KL Rahul’s renaissance. The 33-year-old has hit another level in the last six months. First it was Test cricket. As Rahul showed his compactness as an opener in Australia. Then it was ODIs. As he won matches time and again for the India cricket team in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Shouts for Team India selection
Finally, Rahul seems to have conquered T20 cricket as well. Joining a new franchise, Delhi Capitals (DC), the wicketkeeper-batter has found a new level. He’s batting in the middle order. And looks like the destructive batter we saw from the IPL 2016 to 2018 seasons.
His performance has prompted DC mentor Kevin Pietersen to say that Team India should play him at number four going forward in T20s. “I would bat KL at four for India in T20 cricket. You guys (India) have plenty of opening batters—Surya bats at the top, among others—but with the way KL Rahul is playing right now, he’d be my first choice to bat at No. 4 and keep wickets for India,” Pietersen said.
“It’s very, very difficult to adapt. The way he’s accepted the need for change and implemented it speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. He’s incredibly positive—in his training, mindset, and even how he talks about the game. That’s KL Rahul,” he added.
Pietersen didn’t say it outrightly, but what he basically says is that Rahul should be in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup 2026. But does Rahul merit a place? Has he done enough? How well are the other wicketkeeper batters doing?
Change in approach
To start with, Rahul hasn’t played a T20I since November 2022. That’s a long time. It’s been 2 and a half years. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have retired already. The game has changed in this period. And this has forced Rahul to rethink his approach.
Batting position and strike rate
Rahul has adapted. Starting this IPL 2025 season, he isn’t opening anymore. He isn’t an anchor anymore. His average remains very high, 60.66. But his strike rate is pretty high as well, 146.18. In the last 6 seasons, not once has his strike rate been over 140. But it’s not just about scoring quickly.
Rahul has been playing as per the situations. He’s doing extremely well chasing, and that’s why in some matches, his strike rate has been slightly lower. He knows run rate is what matters in IPL and T20 but isn’t just hitting it blindly. At 33, Rahul knows the ins and outs of the game. And therefore, has been playing the situations.
Wicketkeeper competitors
In KL Rahul’s absence, three wicketkeepers played for Team India in T20Is. Sanju Samson has become a regular. But he opens. Rishabh Pant was taken to the T20 World Cup 2024, but Samson has replaced him as the main wicketkeeper. Jitesh Sharma played a few matches, but he hasn’t played since January 2024. The fourth player would be Dhruv Jurel. He’s yet to play T20Is for India.
Of those mentioned above, only Pant bats in the middle. All the others are either openers for finishers. Rahul has a good shout to be one of the top two wicketkeepers for Team India based on the IPL 2025 season.
IPL 2025 stats for wicketkeepers in T20 World Cup 2026 contention
InningsRunsAverageStrike Rate50sHighest ScoreKL Rahul836460.66146.18393*Sanju Samson722437.33143.58166Rishabh Pant911012.2298.21163Dhruv Jurel923839.66150.63170Jitesh Sharma712130.25147.56040*Middle-order competitors
There are few batters who can slot in at 4-5 positions for Team India in T20Is. To name a few, Rajat Patidar, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag. All of them have played for the Men in Blue, barring Patidar. The youngest, Tilak, has the best chance to make the squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
He’s a mainstay under Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav. And deservingly so. He’s already got 2 hundreds. And others like Dube and Parag have been around about due to their part-time bowling. But again, on current form, both of them don’t make a strong case.
Patidar and Shreyas make very strong cases. Both are exceptional players of spin. And take on the bowlers from the get-go. These two and Tilak would be the main competitors for Rahul. And some, like Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, might spring up as well. But Rahul has got a few more matches to make his case and prove Pietersen right.
IPL 2025 stats for middle-rder in T20 World Cup 2026 contention
InningsRunsAverageStrike Rate50sHighest ScoreKL Rahul836460.66146.18393*Rajat Patidar922825.33147.09264Shivam Dube924234.57133.70150Tilak Varma823939.83140.58259Shreyas Iyer928848182.27397*Riyan Parag1026633.25158.33043*Does KL Rahul deserve a place in India squad for T20 World Cup 2026, as Kevin Pietersen claims? Inside Sport India.
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