Is KV Rahul Cup worth a place in India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026, as Kavin Pietersen claims?

We are looking at KL Rahul’s Renaissance. The 33 -year -old has hit another level in the last six months. Earlier it was Test cricket. As Rahul showed his compactness as a opener in Australia. Then it was ODI. Since he won again and again for the India cricket team in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Team shouts for selection of India

Finally, Rahul has also won T20 cricket. By joining a new franchise, Delhi Capital (DC), wicketkeeper-batter has got a new level. He is batting in the middle order. And looks like a destructive batsman which we watched from IPL 2016 to 2018 season.

His performance inspired DC mentor Kevin Peterson to say that Team India should play him at number four proceeding in T20. “I will bat in four for India in T20 cricket. Peterson said.

“It is very difficult, it is very difficult to customize it. The way he has accepted the need for change and it has been implemented, the kind of person he speaks. He is incredibly positive – how he talks about his training, mindset and even the game. This is KL Rahul,” He said.

Peterson did not call it a lump sum, but what he originally says is that the Rahul T20 World Cup should be under the plan of things for 2026. But is Rahul a place qualification? Have he done enough? How much other wicketkeeper batsmen are doing?

Changes in approach

To start, Rahul has not played the T20I since November 2022. it is a long time. It has been two and a half years. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have already retired. The game has changed in this period. And this has forced Rahul to rethink his approach.

Batting position and strike rate

Rahul has adapted. Starting this IPL 2025 season, it is no longer opening. He is no longer an anchor. Their average is very high, 60.66. But their strike rate is very high, as well as 146.18. In the last 6 sessions, not once, their strike rate was more than 140. But it is not just about scoring quickly.

Rahul is playing according to the circumstances. He is chasing very well, and that’s why in some matches, his strike rate is slightly reduced. He knows what the run rate matters in IPL and T20, but it is not just closing eye. At the age of 33, Rahul knows the game’s ins and out. And so, playing situations.

Wicketkeeper contestant

In the absence of KL Rahul, three wicketkeepers played for Team India in T20I. Sanju Samson has become a regular. But it opens. Rishabh Pant was taken to the T20 World Cup 2024, but Samson turned him into the main wicketkeeper. Jitesh Sharma played a few matches, but did not play since January 2024. The fourth player will be Dhruv Jurlel. He is yet to play T20i for India.

Among the people described above, only pants bats in the middle. All other are either a opener for finishers. Rahul has shouted a good shout for Team India to be one of the top two wicketkeepers based on IPL 2025 season.

IPL 2025 data for wicketkeepers in T20 World Cup 2026

Mid-order competitor

There are some batsmen who can slot 4-5 posts for Team India in T20Is. To make some names, Rajat Patidar, Shivam Dubey, Tilak Verma, Shreyas Iyer and Ryan Parag. All of them have played for men in blue, stopping the Patidar. The youngest Tilak has the best chance to form a team for the T20 World Cup 2026.

He is a mainstay under Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav. And qualified. He has already found 2 hundreds. And others such as Dub and Parag have been surrounding their part -time bowling. But then, in the present form, both do not make a strong case.

Patidar and Shreyas make very strong cases. Both are extraordinary players of spin. And take the bowlers from the gate-go. Both of them and Tilak will be the main contestants for Rahul. And some, such as Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, may also be spring. But Rahul has got some more matches to make his case and prove Peterson right.

IPL 2025 data for middle-guard in T20 World Cup 2026