Kevin Pietersen Backs KL Rahul for India’s T20I Squad, Praises His Fearless Batting for Delhi Capitals

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Delhi Capitals' mentor Kevin Pietersen has heaped praise on KL Rahul for his fearless and positive batting approach in IPL 2025, highlighting the significant change in Rahul's game over the past year.

Speaking to the media after DC's loss against RCB, the former England star revealed his deep and meaningful conversations with Rahul, emphasizing the hard work and mindset shift the Indian star has undertaken.

"KL Rahul has been playing incredibly positive cricket since mid to late last year," Pietersen said.

"We've seen how he finished games for India and nearly sealed the Champions Trophy in Dubai. His transformation, from growing up learning textbook defense to now embracing the demands of modern T20 cricket, is a huge credit to his character. The way he practices, trains, and talks about the game is so positive."

Pietersen, who joined Delhi Capitals as a mentor this season, also voiced strong support for Rahul's inclusion in India's T20I squad, with the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 around the corner. Despite competition from Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and others, Pietersen was clear about his choice.

"The way KL Rahul is playing now, he would be my first choice to bat at No. 4 and keep wickets for India in T20Is," Pietersen asserted.

Alongside Rahul, Pietersen also spoke about working with young DC batter Ashutosh Sharma, affectionately calling him "Ashu." Ashutosh, part of the next generation of aggressive T20 talents, has impressed with his fearless shot-making.

"Ashu is from that younger generation that has grown up playing scoops, reverse flicks, and aiming for sixes every ball. With him, my focus has been on ensuring he practices the right way - hitting the right balls, building good habits, and not just swinging blindly in practice. Because how you practice is how you perform," Pietersen explained.

Pietersen's insights reflect a thoughtful and patient approach to mentoring - focusing not just on immediate performance, but on building the long-term skills and mental resilience young players need to succeed at the highest level.

The former England captain also touched upon how modern T20 batting is evolving at breakneck speed, but emphasized the importance of having technical roots, especially on challenging pitches.

"Some shots these kids play today look like madness, but that's the nature of T20 cricket. However, on tougher wickets, you still need rhythm, timing, and sound technique. Players like Virat [Kohli] and KL showed that tonight," he noted.

Speaking of the match, Delhi posted a modest total of 162/8, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar starring with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 33 runs. KL Rahul was the top run-getter for Delhi with 41 runs.

RCB's chase got off to a shaky start, losing three quick wickets, including captain Rajat Patidar's run out. However, Virat Kohli (51) and Krunal Pandya (73* off 47 balls) steadied the ship, with the duo sharing a match-winning 119-run partnership.

Krunal's late acceleration, including four sixes, guided RCB to a comfortable win with nine balls to spare, as they successfully chased down the target with 165/4 in 18.3 overs.