Should KL Rahul return to Indian T20I setup? Know here

KL Rahul last played a T20I game for India in November 2022.

Indian Cricket Team earned global recognition by defending their T20 World Cup title earlier this year. After the tournament, a change was seen in the T20I side as Shreyas Iyer took over the captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma as his deputy.

However, India suffered a major blow in Iyer’s first assignment, losing the T20I series to Ireland. Moreover, they have also struggled in the ongoing T20I series against England. After four matches, they are trailing 3-0 in the five-match series.

Notably, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are currently the two wicketkeepers in India’s T20I squad. However, both have struggled to perform consistently well.

For instance, the management replaced Sanju with Kishan in the playing XI at the start of the T20 World Cup 2026 but later had to add Samson to the batting line-up. In ODIs, KL Rahul has emerged as an impressive wicket-keeper batsman.

He has also made a mark with his impeccable performances in Tests, which forced the management to appoint him as the new vice-captain. Since he has proved his excellence as a wicket-keeper in ODIs and Tests, he might also be considered for India’s T20I setup.

Should KL Rahul return to India’s T20I team in future?

Notably, Rahul has shown fabulous form in the last few seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the last three editions, he has piled up more than 500 runs. Moreover, he also slammed 1 century each in the 2024 and 2025 seasons for Delhi Capitals (DC).

Despite stellar performances in the IPL, a spot for him in the Indian T20I team does not seem to be on the cards. The management has already moved on from him. Rahul last played a T20I in 2022 against England, and before that, he was a regular member of the team in this format.

However, his low strike rate and a series of poor performances led the selectors to drop him from the shortest format.

Moreover, there’s tough competition for the wicket-keeper batsman in India’s T20I squad, with the likes of Kishan, Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, and even Rishabh Pant battling for a permanent spot.

Under these circumstances, Rahul’s return to T20Is is almost impossible. However, he continues to be a key batter in the other two formats.

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