"He used to confuse himself" - Former India opener's huge claim on KL Rahul amid terrific form in IPL 2025

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag believes Delhi Capitals (DC) wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul used to confuse himself in an attempt to balance consistency with strike rate in the IPL. Despite being arguably the most consistent batter in IPL history, Rahul suffered major criticism for his strike rate and impactless knocks.

The 32-year-old used to defend himself by downplaying the importance of strike rate even in T20s. However, Rahul finally transformed his batting approach in the 2025 IPL season.

The veteran batter is averaging an incredible 92.50 at a strike rate of almost 170 in three matches. It is a massive uptick from a career IPL strike rate of just over 135 in 135 outings.

Rahul helped DC complete an excellent win over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the most recent encounter, scoring an unbeaten 93 off 53 deliveries.

Talking about KL Rahul after DC's win over RCB, Sehwag said (Via Crictoday):

"KL Rahul was never a bad player. He used to confuse himself by saying that the strike rate in IPL doesn’t matter. I know strike rate is not important in every match, but winning the match is. He used to leave his franchises in between without taking them to victories. He was not completing his job in the past. But now he is winning matches."

He added:

"When he was with Punjab Kings during my association with the franchise, I told him to express himself in the middle. We gave him complete freedom without putting any kind of pressure. I knew he would become a superstar."

Rahul overtook Dinesh Karthik to become the tenth-highest run-getter in IPL history with 4,868 runs. The 2020 Orange Cap winner boasts the best average among those in the top ten at 46.36.

KL Rahul's heroics helped DC remain unbeaten in IPL 2025

KL Rahul's heroics helped DC maintain their unbeaten record to start the IPL 2025 season. After missing the side's season opener, the 32-year-old returned with a bang in their win over the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Rahul has positively impacted DC's last two wins over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and RCB. He scored a measured 51-ball 77 against the former on a tricky Chennai surface to win the Player of the Match award.

Rahul made it back-to-back with his 93* in the RCB clash on his home ground at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. DC remain the lone undefeated side in the competition, winning their opening four games.

They will take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) in a mouthwatering clash in Delhi on Sunday, April 13.