I've realised T20 cricket is all about hitting boundaries - KL Rahul

It was back in 2018, seven seasons ago, when KL Rahul had a strike-rate over 150 in the IPL. This was despite the wicketkeeper-batter scoring over 500 runs each season in the tournament since that year - except 2022 when he played only nine games as his season was cut short due to a hamstring injury. He also endured the pressures of captaincy with Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings during these years.

However, this season and without the pressures of captaincy, the INR 14-crores acquisition of Delhi Capitals appears to be a freed man. Having missed the first game due to paternity leave, he finished off the team's chase quickly with 15 (5) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad with two boundaries and a six. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has already amassed 92 runs so far this tournament at a strike-rate of 164.29, and has just come off a match-winning 51-ball 77 in Chepauk.

In an interview with IPLT20, with DC's mentor Kevin Pietersen, Rahul opened up about getting rid of the thought of taking the game deep and getting past the philosophy in which he had mentioned that 'strike-rate is overrated'.

"I think somewhere along the way I lost that fun of hitting boundaries and hitting sixes. I wanted to take the game deep, deep, deep and that somehow stuck in my head. But now I have realised I need to go back... cricket's changed, and T20 cricket, especially, is only about hitting boundaries. The team that hits more boundaries and sixes ends up winning the game."

Rahul attributed credit to Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar whom he worked with for hours on end, and the batter stated that he found the love again for playing white-ball cricket.

"I've worked really hard on my white-ball game the last year or so. Big shoutout to Abhishek Nayar. I've worked a lot with him ever since he's come into the Indian team," Rahul said. "We've spent hours and hours together talking about my white-ball game and how I can be better. We worked hours and hours together in Bombay and somewhere I have found the fun playing white-ball cricket."