Delhi: KL Rahul, considered the most stylish batsman of the Indian cricket team, is constantly out of Team India's T20 format these days. Rahul got a chance to play T20 International cricket for the last time in the year 2022. Since then, he has not been able to make a comeback in India's T20 team yet. In the squad selected for the T20 World Cup, the selection committee has given a chance to Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as a wicketkeeper batsman, not trusting a veteran batsman like KL Rahul.

In the middle of the T20 World Cup, Team India's squad was announced for the Zimbabwe T20 series, but even in this team squad, the selection committee has not given a chance to KL Rahul. After which the question whether KL Rahul will be able to make a comeback in the T20 format for Team India in the coming time or not has become the biggest question for Indian cricket and its supporters at this time.

Last time I got a chance to play T20 International in T20 World Cup 2022

KL Rahul started his T20 International career against Zimbabwe in the year 2016. From the year 2016 till the T20 World Cup of the year 2022, KL Rahul was seen playing continuously in the playing 11 of Team India's T20 format.

Team India faced England in the semi-final match of the T20 World Cup held in the year 2022. In this match, KL Rahul is able to play an innings of only 5 runs as an opener for the Indian team and in the end, Team India defeats England by 10 wickets in this match and the Indian team is out of the T20 World Cup 2024.

With the defeat in that World Cup match, on one hand, Team India's dream of winning the T20 World Cup after 15 years is shattered, while on the other hand, for KL Rahul, this proves to be the last international match of his T20 format career.

Is Rahul's T20I career over?

For your information, let us tell you that officially KL Rahul has not made any announcement to end his T20I career, but looking at his approach to batting in T20 cricket, his career can be considered over at the present time.

In the 2023 IPL season, veteran Indian batsman KL Rahul scored a total of 274 runs in 9 matches played for his franchise Lucknow Super Giants. During this, two half-century innings were seen from his bat but his strike rate in the entire season was only 113.

A similar situation was seen in the 2024 season as well. Even though 520 runs came off his bat this season, Rahul's strike rate was 136, whereas in the recently concluded season of IPL, all the world class players were batting at a strike rate of 150 or more.

Considering KL Rahul's recent approach to batting in T20 cricket, it can now be assumed that BCCI will not give him a chance to return to the T20I team at any cost.

BCCI is showing faith in young players in T20 International

Lokesh Rahul is now 32 years old and at this time BCCI wants to trust mostly young players for T20 International. Talking about the Zimbabwe tour, the selection committee has selected 4 young players for the first time for any series at the international level for Team India. These players include Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Tushar Deshpande.

In such a situation, looking at KL Rahul's recent batting approach, it does not seem possible for him to make a comeback in the T20 International team for India.
This is how KL Rahul's T20 International career has been

KL Rahul, one of the star wicketkeeper batsmen of the Indian cricket team, has played a total of 72 T20 international matches so far. During this, his bat has produced 2265 runs in 68 innings at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.12.

While playing for India, Rahul has scored 22 half-centuries and two centuries in T20 International cricket. He is the third batsman to score the most centuries in T20 International cricket from India. Only the current captain of Team India Rohit Sharma and T20 cricket star batsman Suryakumar Yadav's name are included above him in this list.

Rahul can become the next captain of Team India

If we talk about KL Rahul's ODI and Test cricket career, he is going to be quite impressive. If KL Rahul's form and fitness support him in the ODI and Test formats in the coming times, then BCCI can give him the responsibility of captaining the ODI or Test team in the coming years.

Recent performance of KL Rahul

Talking about KL Rahul, he played his last match at the international level during the first match of the India vs England Test series held in early 2024. In this match held at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, Rahul scored 108 runs in both the innings of the Test match.

Before that, KL Rahul had scored a brilliant century in the Test series against South Africa. While all other Indian batsmen were seen struggling on the South African pitches, KL Rahul was showing his batting prowess in his own style.

Talking about KL Rahul's recent performance in ODI cricket, he scored 452 runs while batting in 10 innings of 11 matches played in the World Cup 2023. In the World Cup 2023, Rahul also played 2 half-centuries and 1 century for Team India with his bat. In such a situation, it is not possible to remove KL Rahul from ODI and Test cricket on the basis of performance at this time.