Indian batter KL Rahul has long been regarded as one of India’s most technically sound and dependable batters. Still, he found himself out of India's T20 plans, with questions beginning to surface about whether his measured approach still fit the demands of the shortest version of the game. His last appearance in the format came in 2022, after which his relatively modest strike rate became a talking point of criticism. However, the ongoing IPL 2026 season has seen a remarkable transformation in his game. Appearing for Delhi Capitals, Rahul has been the highest run-scorer but has also raised his scoring tempo. Talking about his game, Rahul expressed his happiness following DC's win over RR, where he scored 75 off 40 balls.
"Yeah, of course it does. At the end of the day, we play the sport to win. After playing for so many years, numbers do matter. I mean, you're happy that you score runs, and you score these big runs and break records, but if you don't get the 'W' after the game, it's not as much fun," Rahul said at the post-match presentation.
DC staged a remarkable comeback after suffering a massive defeat against RCB a few days ago. Speaking on the dressing room environment, Rahul said that conversations have been positive. Moreover, Rahul also touched upon the strike rate, which has been a big talking point.
"The dressing room has always been in a decent place. We try to keep that dressing room as balanced as possible. We do realise that the results haven't gone our way, but if you really dig deep and see if we're making blunders or big mistakes, that wasn't the case. We had some honest conversations in the dressing room. Yes, we couldn't cash in on the big moments. Except for the last game, we were in the contest in every other match; if one over had gone our way, we would have been on the winning side. So, we realise that we played some decent cricket, but there were some areas where we really needed to get sharp and crisp."
"This competition and T20 cricket don't allow you a second chance. So, it was important that we take our chances and, when we're ahead, really press hard and finish the game, which we weren't doing. I'm really happy that we could get this win and we look forward to stringing a few more together; that will give us more confidence," he said.
"The strike rate. I think it was a big talking point for a few years. That is something I have really worked on. I'm happy that I've worked on that and that I'm doing what is required for the team, first and foremost, and doing what modern T20 cricket requires. Yeah, that's something that's pleasing for me," Rahul stated.