IPL 2025 | KL Rahul 2.0: Aggressive, free and thriving at Delhi Capitals

KL Rahul has hit the ground running in IPL 2025, making an immediate impact after missing the Delhi Capitals' (DC) first two matches due to paternity leave. In his debut outing this season, Rahul smashed 15 off just 5 deliveries, and followed it up with a match-winning 77 off 51 balls against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday—signaling a notable shift in intent and approach.

This new attacking mindset is a departure from the cautious KL Rahul fans had seen in previous IPL seasons. Since 2019, he hadn’t crossed a strike rate of 138.8 in any edition. His intent dipped notably in 2020 (129.34) and hit a low in 2023 (113.22). Despite piling up 520–670 runs in every full season (barring 2023 when he played only nine matches), his style was often criticized for lacking aggression.

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Now, at DC and free from captaincy pressure that followed him during his stint with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rahul seems revitalised.

“I’ve worked really hard on my white-ball game over the past year,” Rahul shared in a chat with DC mentor Kevin Pietersen on iplt20.com, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “A big shoutout to Abhishek Nayar. We’ve spent countless hours working on my white-ball game in Bombay. Somewhere along the way, I’ve rediscovered the fun of playing this format.”

'In T20s, it is all about boundaries'

His confidence was also visible during India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, where he played a key dual role as wicketkeeper and finisher—scoring 140 runs in four innings without being dismissed in three, at a strike rate of 97.90, with five fours and five sixes.

In IPL 2025 so far, Rahul has already notched up eight boundaries and four sixes. If this form holds, he’s well on course to surpass his 2024 numbers—45 fours and 19 sixes—in what was a tumultuous season. His tense on-field discussion with LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka made headlines and ultimately led to his release from the franchise. Goenka later remarked that he sought players with a stronger “winning mindset.”

Reflecting on his mindset change, Rahul told Pietersen, “I think I lost the fun of hitting boundaries and sixes. I kept trying to take games deep, and that stuck in my head. But now, I’ve realized that in T20s, it’s all about boundaries—the team that hits more ends up winning.”

“So I’m back to enjoying cricket again—seeing the ball, being aggressive, putting pressure on the bowler and just enjoying myself,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)