KL Rahul (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

MUMBAI: When the Indian team is picked for the Bangladesh tour, which includes three ODIs and as many T20Is, in August, KL Rahul’s name is set to be considered for the T20Is as well. It has been almost two-and-a-half-years since Rahul played the last of his 72 T20Is for India. On November 10 in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup against England, Rahul, opening the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma, was dismissed by Chris Woakes for a five-ball five as India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket thrashing to exit the tournament.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Having made just 128 runs in six matches at an average of 21.33 and strike rate of 120.75, Rahul had forced the selectors that India needed to look beyond him in the game’s shortest format.However, in the last six months, Rahul has given every reason to convince the “five wise men” in Indian cricket that it’s time to hand him a return ticket in T20Is.On Sunday night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium during a league match of IPL 2025, Rahul was at his majestic best, hitting one imperious shot after another, as he stroked a sublime unbeaten 112 off just 65 balls, which included 14 fours and four sixes, for the Delhi Capitals against Gujarat Titans.With Sai Sudharshan and Shubman Gill firing all guns against a mediocre DC bowling, Rahul’s effort, which had helped DC get to 199 for three in 20 overs, got overshadowed.Yet, Rahul has been in sensational form in IPL 2025.During his blazing knock, Rahul became faster than greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to score 8,000 runs in T20 cricket, achieving the feat in just 224 innings (237 matches).In 11 matches so far in IPL 2025, the 33-year-old ‘keeper-batter has scored 493 runs off just 333 balls, with three fifties and a hundred, his strike rate being a healthy 148.04.More importantly, if he keeps batting like this, Rahul is definitely in the fray for a spot in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February-March next year.When the tournament began, Rahul batted at No. 4 in the team’s interest, but moved to the opening slot when the IPL resumed for the franchise on Sunday, as Australian’s Jake Fraser-McGurk didn’t return for the rest of the tournament.

He had entered the IPL after scoring 140 runs in 143 balls at an “unreal” average of 140 in five matches, with the team winning the 2025 Champions Trophy in UAE.