IPL 2026: Ambati Rayudu explains KL Rahul's approach after stunning knock vs GT, says 'he wanted to bat deep'

KL Rahul announced his arrival in the IPL 2026 after scoring a wonderful knock of 92 runs off 52 deliveries against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, April 8 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, but his effort went in vain as Delhi Capitals lost the game by just one run.

Ambati Rayudu lauds KL Rahul's knock vs Gujarat Titans

In an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo, former India batter Ambati Rayudu has dropped his opinion on KL Rahul's slow start into the tournament saying that the team may have assigned him the role of anchoring the inning and batting deep.

"Initially he was conservative, he was getting a look in. But he turned it on beautifully. And maybe that's his role in the DC side, that's their strategy that he needs to bat deep," said Rayudu.

Rayudu further claimed that Rahul's biggest challenge lies in his decision-making rather than his batting potential, adding that the batter has the potential to handle both spinners and pacers effectively.

"We all know that once he gets in, he has the game to play a boundary shot against any delivery. That has been Rahul's speciality over the years. It's just his mindset, how and when he wants to do it is what his battle has always been about. Because he has the game to take on the spinners, the fast bowlers as well as every length. So the challenge is the strategy he would come out to bat with," Rayudu added.

Reflecting back on KL Rahul's inning against Gujarat Titans, Ambati Rayudu said that the opener took his time to settle in as he aimed to stay at the crease till the end, while also lauding his impressive knock.

"Today he wanted to bat deep. He wanted to take it till the end, and he has done a fantastic job. Don't forget he's played a beautiful innings," said the former India player.

KL Rahul's slow start in IPL 2026

Coming into the tournament, KL Rahul had a slow start as he got dismissed on zero against Lucknow Super Giants and managed just one run against the Mumbai Indians, before finding some form against GT. The star India batter will aim to build on that momentum and make a strong impact in the league with more such performance.