Kevin Pietersen claims stakes for KL Rahul's inclusion in India squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Published - 28 Apr 2025, 01:00 PM | Updated - 28 Apr 2025, 03:45 PM
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As KL Rahul continues to impress with his versatility and consistency in the ongoing IPL 2025, former England batter and Delhi Capitals mentor Kevin Pietersen backed the Karnataka star’s return to India’s T20I squad. Kevin Pietersen said that KL Rahul should be India’s first-choice No. 4 batter and wicketkeeper in T20I cricket.
Rahul has been out of India’s T20I team since the 2022 T20 World Cup, but the Englishman believes that the right-hander's impressive form with the bat in the ongoing IPL 2025 should be enough to reclaim his place in the squad.
Kevin Pietersen backs KL Rahul for India’s No. 4 spot in T20Is
He had a brilliant IPL 2024 season with 500+ runs, and he is currently playing with a more refined and aggressive approach for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Given that Pietersen mentioned that the Indian cricket team already has enough top-order options, he feels Rahul would be the perfect fit for the No. 4 slot in T20I cricket.
Kevin Pietersen was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times, “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.”
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Kevin Pietersen hails KL Rahul’s aggressive approach in IPL 2025
Meanwhile, KL Rahul has been showing the world a more aggressive, fearless side of his game in the past couple of seasons. After bursting onto the IPL scene in 2016 with Royal Challengers Bangalore, his strike rate was above 150.
However, he consistently crossed the 500-run mark in the following season, but his strike rate remained in the 130s, which doesn’t suit the modern T20 game. The pressures of leading teams like Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants added to the challenge, and he could not play his natural game.
But in IPL 2025, without the burden of captaincy, Rahul is back to his best. His performances in Chennai and Bengaluru, where he scored stunning knocks of 77 and an unbeaten 93, proved he is a different batter altogether in the format now.
Great credit to the person that he is: Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen said that Rahul’s resurgence is the result of a shift in his approach to the game. Since late last year, he’s embraced a more aggressive mindset, with his positive approach becoming evident in his recent innings in the tournament.
The Englishman, who has had deep conversations with Rahul about his batting, hailed the maturity with which the Indian star has evolved.
Pietersen signed off by saying, “KL has been playing in a very positive manner since late last year, mid- to late last year. The way that he has accepted that he's needed to change and the way that he has changed are 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.”
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