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KL Rahul Reveals India Coach Who Helped Him Regain Lost Love For White-Ball Cricket

Soumyajit Dutta

KL Rahul [Source: @KKR_Xtra/X]KL Rahul [Source: @KKR_Xtra/X]

KL Rahul’s resurgence as a dynamic white-ball batter has been one of IPL 2025’s standout narratives, marked by a blend of aggression and adaptability. 

After facing scrutiny for his strike rate and losing his T20I spot post-2022, the Delhi Capitals opener has reinvented himself, crediting India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar for rekindling his joy in explosive batting.

KL Rahul Credits Abhishek Nayar For T20 Resurgence 

KL Rahul's 77 off 51 balls against Chennai Super Kings on a challenging Chepauk pitch underscored this transformation, propelling DC to a third straight win and reigniting his case for a national comeback.

KL Rahul’s journey from anchor to aggressor reflects a conscious shift. Once criticized for over-cautiousness, he now blends stability with intent, a change honed through hours of work with Nayar. This evolution wasn’t just technical but mental, shedding the “take it deep” mantra to embrace risk-reward cricket. 

Pietersen’s Praise & Rahul’s “Fun” Revelation

Delhi Capitals mentor Kevin Pietersen lauded Rahul’s adaptability with the match pressure and his intent with the bat.

“Your intent in Vizag, you struck at 300 and I was happy with you. Today, striking at 150, still on a different wicket…you must be absolutely buzzing that you’re able to adapt your style to the modern-day game.”

Rahul, however, attributed his resurgence to Abhishek Nayar’s mentorship and how he helped him grow as a T20 batter.

“I’ve worked really hard on my white-ball game in the last year or so. Big shoutout to Abhishek Nayar… We’ve spent hours and hours together talking about my white-ball game and how I can be better. Somewhere I’ve found the fun in playing white-ball cricket. I think somewhere along the way I lost the 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’ve realized that I need to go back.”

His 77 against CSK exemplified this shift. Walking in at 12/1, Rahul balanced caution with calculated aggression, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes. His partnership with Rishabh Pant (89 runs off 54 balls) dismantled Chennai’s attack, proving his redefined approach can anchor and accelerate.

Rahul's ODI Redemption & T20I Ambitions

While Rahul remains pivotal in ODIs, his T20I exile lingers. However, performances like Saturday’s strengthen his case. His ability to don multiple hats, opener, middle-order stabilizer, and wicketkeeper, mirrors the versatility India seeks ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.