India batsman KL Rahul admitted he was never perceived as a strong T20 player in the early years of his career and said he was happy to change the perception of his white-ball game after years of criticism for his strike rate and approach in the shortest format.
The Delhi Capitals batter is in strong form in the ongoing IPL season and produced one of the most significant knocks of the tournament last month when he smashed an unbeaten 152 off 64 balls against the Punjab Kings. Although the innings lost, it again highlighted Rahul’s abilities in T20 cricket.
Rahul has not played a T20 International for India since 2022, but remains an important member of the ODI and Test squads.
On JioStar’s ‘Superstars’, Rahul reflected on his journey in white-ball cricket and how difficult it was to break away from the notion that he was only a red-ball batsman.
“Ten years ago, I would have given anything to be part of a T20 team. I was never rated as a T20 player, nor was I considered a good white-ball player; I was labeled as a Test player,” Rahul said.
“So to break out of that mold and develop my cue ball game and come this far is something I’m really proud of. I made mistakes along the way and there are things I could have done better,” he added.
Rahul said that despite ups and downs in his career, he always tried to give his best whenever he represented his teams.
“But what I’m proud of is that I played the best I could and I prepared as well as I could to give myself the best chance to succeed. That’s the sport, things don’t always go your way,” Rahul said.
The 34-year-old added that he has learned to keep perspective during the difficult stages of his career.
“You have to take it in stride and enjoy the journey… Whenever I feel like I haven’t achieved what I haven’t achieved, I remind myself of what I have and it gives me perspective,” he said.
“I still have some time left. So I will keep trying my best and see how many trophies I can win.”
Rahul also spoke about fatherhood and said it helped him calm down on and off the field. Rahul and actor wife Athiya Shetty welcomed a baby girl last year.
“Fatherhood has been the most beautiful thing for me. I always felt that I had peace and happiness in my life, but I was very wrong. You don’t really know happiness, peace or joy until you hold your child,” said Rahul.
“When I see him smile, when he hugs me and kisses me, everything is forgotten, all my injuries, pain and worries. That has also helped my cricket in the last year.”
Rahul said fatherhood has also changed the way he approaches cricket and helped him stop overthinking.
“I don’t think about the game anymore, which makes it exciting again. When I’m there for those 4-5 hours, I’m fully switched on and I go out and enjoy the game and try to do my best,” he added.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
05 May 2026 15:25 IST
