"My aim is to get back into T20 team, look forward to this IPL to give me platform": KL Rahul

KL Rahul (Pic: File Pic)

Struggling KL Rahul is looking forward to using IPL 2025 as a vehicle to make a comeback in India's T20I side as he wants to remain in the mix for all three formats.

KL Rahul will likely open the innings for India if captain Rohit Sharma misses out on the first Test match against Australia ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

KL Rahul's form is a bit concerning for Team India as he was dropped from the last two Tests against New Zealand and was replaced by Sarfaraz Khan.

But the batter, who is pleasing to watch when in full flow, remains unperturbed by his lean run of form. "My aim is to obviously get back into the T20 team. I've always wanted to be an all-format player, and that desire and drive haven't changed over the years. I want to still play for India in all three formats and have done that for many years," Rahul told Star Sports.

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"I've been out of the T20 team for a while, and I know where I stand as a player and what I need to do to get back. So, I look forward to this IPL season to give me that platform to enjoy my cricket and play the way I want to," he added.

Since 2022, he has scored 514 runs in Tests from 12 matches (21 innings) at an average of 25.7, having registered three half-centuries and a century.

During the interaction, Rahul emphasised always keeping the team ahead of his individual aspirations. "All of us as players want to play with freedom, and everyone would think that the way I batted, I'm enjoying playing that. But like I said, my thought process and motivation have always been team first. It doesn't matter what I want to do or what my natural game is.

"We play a team sport. If I played tennis, it would be different; I could stick to saying, 'This is my natural game.' But in a team sport, it's very different. Each game, you'll have a different role and responsibility given to you to find a way to deliver for the team," he said.

The Bengaluru man's last Test hundred was against South Africa at Centurion in December 2023 and since then made just two fifties in nine innings.

(With PTI Inputs)