Flamboyant batter KL Rahul shared insights on his journey to prove himself as a white-ball player and alter people’s perception of him as a Test specialist. Making his India debut in 2014, it took Rahul about one and a half years to transition to white-ball cricket in 2016. Over time, he evolved to become a crucial part of India’s ODI team, participating in the last two T20 World Cups.
Rahul has accumulated 2820 runs in 75 ODIs with seven centuries and over 2000 runs in T20Is.
The Lucknow Super Giants skipper reflected on overcoming the Test player label and proving his ability as a white-ball player.
“Initially, I was surprised I hit a six because I wasn’t a strong T20 or ODI player back then. I was given the Test player’s tag and doubts about my T20 and ODI skills. It took me a while to break out of that perception and showcase my white-ball cricket talents,” Rahul revealed to Star Sports.
Rahul highlighted the 2016 IPL season as a turning point where he gained recognition as a white-ball player, representing RCB and scoring 397 runs in 14 matches with an average of 44.11.
“In 2016 when I played the IPL, I had a very good year with RCB and after that I think people started seeing KL Rahul as a one-day and T20 player as well. So after quietly working hard for many years behind the scenes, I got my spotlight,” Rahul added.
Despite his achievements, Rahul was omitted from India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, with selectors favoring Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar highlighted Rahul’s batting position as an opener in IPL 2024 as a contributing factor to his exclusion.
