Delhi Capitals (DC) mentor Kevin Pietersen has backed the inclusion of wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul in the T20Is for India at the number four role. The former England cricketer lavished huge praise on the DC batter for his adaptability, versatility, and anchoring the innings in that role for the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season.
DC bought Rahul for INR 14 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, and so far it has proven to be a game-changer pick, as the 32-year-old has scored 364 runs in eight games at an average of 60.66 and a strike rate of 146.18. The right-hand batter has shown consistency and has often bailed DC out of tough situations this season. The wicketkeeper batter scored 41 runs off 39 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, April 27, and helped DC set 162 runs.
Advertisement
Although Rahul's innings was not enough to enable a DC win, Pietersen stated that the batter's positive intent and confidence are striking to watch.
"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. "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," Pietersen said in the post-match press conference on Sunday, April 27.Â
Kevin Pietersen on his rapport with KL Rahul
Notably, Rahul has not played a T20I for India since turning out in the semi-final match against England in the T20 World Cup in 2022. Selectors criticized the 31-year-old for batting slowly and not maximizing the use of power play. However, since that snub, Rahul has made small adjustments to his technique and has worked on batting more freely. Pietersen stated that he has had some brilliant conversations with the DC batter and the challenges he faced in adapting his game.
"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 defense, 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.
The DC mentor also said that while modern technique is important, as it gives newer cricketers the edge, players like KL Rahul, who have a nice blend of both traditional and modern approaches, are vital, especially on two-paced surfaces.
"I think a lot of these players are not going to play Test match cricket. So you're probably looking at it as a view, and I do often as well. I look at it and I just think like this is just crazy, some of the shots that you see and how quickly these guys play the shots, it looks like utter madness, but that's the form of the game," he said further.
Also Read:Â 'There's lot to play for next season': RR accept bitter truth ahead of must-win match against GT
Advertisement
"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 a 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.
Also Read:Â IPL 2025: How can Chennai Super Kings qualify for IPL playoffs; Check out
So far in 72 T20Is, Rahul has amassed 2265 runs at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.13, scoring 22 fifties and two centuries.
