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Cricket PlayersCSK legend puts weight behind out-of-favour KL Rahul to make T20I comeback: ‘He has worked a lot. People think T20 is…’
The former CSK legend asserted that KL Rahul has the class and temperament to get back to the T20I set-up.
Veteran India all-rounder Suresh Raina asserted that KL Rahul has done everything to get back into the T20I team after working on his game recently. Rahul, who was once a mainstay in India's T20I set-up, last played the shortest format at the international level in the 2022 T20 World Cup. The Indian team has adopted a fearless batting approach in the past couple of years, and the management feels Rahul doesn't fit the bill. The wicketkeeper batter still remains a pivotal part of the Test and ODI set-up, but in T20Is, even after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements, the Indian selectors have picked youngsters like Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill over him.
Rahul has played 72 T20Is for India, amassing 2,265 runs at an impressive average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.13. His tally includes two centuries and 22 fifties, and he remains one of the few Indians to score tons in all three formats.
Meanwhile, Raina asserted that Rahul has the class and temperament to get back to the T20I set-up.
“He scored the runs. See, KL Rahul has a temperament. People think T20 is a very fast game where you only need to hit shots, but the class, temperament, and game awareness he possesses don’t come overnight. He has worked a lot, so I think he will come back,” Raina said on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel.
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T20 World Cup is on KL Rahul's mind
Rahul levelled up his game in IPL 2025, when he joined Delhi Capitals and scored 539 runs in 15 matches at 149.72. He showed his versatility by batting both in the top and middle order.
Earlier this year, Rahul reflected on his white-ball journey and expressed satisfaction with his recent performances. While admitting that a T20I comeback and the World Cup remain on his radar, the wicketkeeper-batsman emphasised staying in the moment and focusing on enjoying his current form rather than getting consumed by future goals.
“I obviously had some time to think about my white-ball game, I was quite happy with my performances and where I was. Yes, I want to get back in the T20I team and the World Cup is in my mind, but for now it's just trying to enjoy how I'm playing right now," said the wicket-keeper-batter.
