IPL 2026: Has KL Rahul finally decoded the art of T20 batting?

KL Rahul belongs to a rare group of cricketers who have been high on talent but, at the same time, high on underutilisation. Especially in T20 cricket. When he is in full flow and when he bats with high intent, it's almost impossible to restrict his scoring zones.

Punjab Kings' historic T20 chase of 265 may have dampened Rahul's unprecedented achievement of becoming the first Indian ever to score 150-plus in this format. However, that innings was once again showed how different Rahul's approach has been this season.

Despite being on the losing side, Rahul was awarded Player of the Match for his record-breaking innings. However, winning is the ultimate goal and Rahul won the accolade again, this time in a winning cause against RR in Jaipur.

"Yeah, of course (winning) it does (matter). At the end of the day, we play the sport to win," said Rahul at the presentation ceremony after the RR-DC game.

Rahul was at his effortless best during his 40-ball 75, topping up on that knock of 152 which had come off just 67 balls. Talent or range of strokes have never been Rahul's problem, it's always been about that big word – intent.

At different points in recent years, Rahul had openly termed strike-rates to be 'overrated' and felt that the match situation should dictate the tempo of a batter's innings. While this opinion isn't wrong, it still couldn't justify Rahul's overall approach in those seasons.

Rahul has often churned out runs in large volume but his strike-rates have been a concern, especially in the powerplay where he has batted with a Test match/ODI kind of approach. That seems to be a thing of the past, if we observe his intent in IPL 2026.

In the game against RR, Rahul was only 19 (13) but that was because Pathum Nissanka had already raced to fifty off just 23 balls. In the PBKS fixture, Rahul scored 35 off just 16 balls in the powerplay. Against RCB, Rahul was 31(18) at the same point.

This urgency to get off the blocks quickly had been missing in Rahul's game since IPL 2018 where he made heads turn with his jaw-dropping range of strokes and unflappable intent. To be fair, IPL 2026 is the closest he has gotten to that version of himself.

When he bats like this, one understands why he was rated by the pundits to be the successor to Virat Kohli. That hasn't quite panned out but Rahul seems to be a late bloomer in many ways.

Rahul's all-round game against pace and spin makes him an asset for any T20 side, provided he is in rhythm, like he has been this year or in 2018. The fact that he also keeps wickets means that he is always in with a shout to get back into the India T20 side.

Having won two T20 World Cups on the go, India's form and bench strength in the shortest format are at an all-time high. In fact, the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar have still not been able to sneak into the squad, and there are a truckload of youngsters waiting as well.

A comeback in T20Is might still be a long way away but if Rahul continues to bat with such swagger in the IPL, his hopes could get a new lease of life. The 2028 T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand – venues that Rahul should feast on.

The LA Olympics will be in USA and while the pitches there are unpredictable due to the artificial surfaces, Rahul could still come in useful with his solid technique and temperament. For now, though, his job will be to continue the good work.

For the last few years, Rahul's momentum had gone down considerably, so he has a lot of catching up to do and hence, one season of good work might not be enough. But, it will still be a beginning, and maybe, Rahul has finally decoded the puzzle of T20 batting.