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KL Rahul reaffirmed his ambitions of becoming an all-format player and making a comeback to India's T20I side once again.
The dawn of Indian cricket in the T20I format has begun on a sumptuous note, with captain Suryakumar Yadav taking Men in Blue to new heights. By infusing young blood and experienced faces into the squad, the T20 World Cup champions have found the right formula for success. With a combination of new faces and old ones, India's T20I setup looks well-prepared for the future, with many more talented stars knocking on the door. Rahul is also among the candidates looking to return to the T20I fold. As of now, he is on a quest to regain his lost form, a cause for concern in the build-up to the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. "My aim is to obviously get back into the T20 team. I've always wanted to be an all-format player, and that desire and drive haven't changed over the years. I want to still play for India in all three formats and have done that for many years," Rahul said on Star Sports. Rahul last donned the T20I colours two years ago against England at Adelaide in the T20 World Cup semi-final. Since then, he has toiled hard to make a comeback to the T20I side. His outings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have proved to be insufficient to push his case. Since being dropped, Rahul hit rock bottom in IPL 2023 after a sting of 500-plus runs seasons in the cash-rich league. He could only muster up 274 runs in nine matches, averaging 34.25 while striking at 113.22 in 2023 IPL. In the following season, Rahul found his rhythm in patches and garnered 520 runs in 14 games, averaging 37.14 with a strike rate of 136.13. His surge in the format wasn't enough to return to India's T20 World Cup squad. He is now looking at IPL 2025 as the platform to enjoy his cricket, which could potentially open up a way to return to the side. "I've been out of the T20 team for a while, and I know where I stand as a player and what I need to do to get back. So, I look forward to this IPL season to give me that platform to enjoy my cricket and play the way I want to," he added. Before he makes a bid to return to the T20I side, Rahul will look to leave his mark in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, beginning next week. However, his hopes dimmed after he suffered a blow on his elbow during India's match simulation at the WACA Ground. The right-hand batter left the field after he was stuck on his elbow. This could be a huge blow for the team as he was a possible replacement for Rohit Sharma in the opening slot if he misses out on the series opener. (ANI)
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