Delhi Capitals (DC) mentor Kevin Pietersen is happy with the way KL Rahul has approached his knocks at the franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Rahul is currently DC's leading run-scorer in the tournament. Given Rahul's current form, Pietersen wants him back in India's T20I squad. He wants him to play as a wicketkeeper-batter and bat at no.4 instead of his old batting position as opener.
"I'd bat KL at four for India in T20 cricket, I think you guys have got plenty of opening batters, you've got Surya who bats at the top, you've got all of these guys but the way that KL Rahul is playing cricket now, he would be my first choice to bat at four and keep wicket for India," Pietersen said in the press conference after DC suffered a six-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 27.
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Rahul's absence and T20I record at no.4
KL Rahul hasn't played a T20I since India's T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal exit. Rahul was criticised for his strike rate as opener. He has batted at no.4 only four times in T20Is. From four innings, he scored 174 runs including an unbeaten 110 against West Indies in an unsuccessful high-scoring run chase in 2016.
Rahul in IPL 2025 so far
Earlier this season, Rahul had admitted that he had lost the fun of hitting boundaries as he wanted to take the game deep. But this year, he answered the management's call after England's recently-appointed white-ball captain Harry Brook pulled out of the tournament. So far, he has scored 364 runs from eight innings at an average of 60.67, including three half-centuries. His strike rate is 146.18.
Pietersen lauds Rahul's mindset
Pietersen has lauded Rahul's tunraround that started with the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. He revealed that he has had 'meaningful conversations' with Rahul. He lauds the wicketkeeper-batter for accepting that there is a need to change and be positive about it.
"KL has been playing in a very positive manner since late last year, mid to late last year. We saw how he finished off a couple of the games for India and almost sealed the deal 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 and you get taught defence, elbow up, play in the V and then all of a sudden in your thirties you've got to change it and you've got to become a different kind of player for a different format which is evolving all the time.
"It's very, very difficult. So the way that he has accepted that he's needed to change, the way that he has changed is of great, great credit to the person that he is. He is so positive, the way that he practices, the way that he trains, the way he thinks about the game and also the way that he talks about the game. That's KL," Pietersen added.
Pietersen on how a 'true batter' approaches games on tough pitches
Pietersen also talked about how the game has evolved and the shot selection has changed. However, he said that there is a need to play with method on the pitch that was used against RCB at Arun Jaitley Stadium. He lauded Rahul and Virat Kohli despite their strike rate which was less than 110.
"On wickets like we're playing on this evening (DC vs RCB game), you can't play that way and you've got to be methodical, you've got to find rhythm, Virat [Kohli] found rhythm this evening, KL got rhythm and I think that's where you see the true batter, the real batter that can come out there and sort of monitor the situation and it looks effortless because they've built a technique for 20 years, 30 years, whereas you give the absolute belters and that's when the next generation can come in and do all sorts of things," he concluded.
While RCB climbed to the top of points table with their seventh win from 10 games, DC are currently placed fourth with six wins from nine games. DC's next match is against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home on April 29.