Rayudu highlights KL Rahul’s mindset after match-winning knock

April 9, 2026

New Delhi: The excellent 92 run knock by KL Rahul in the last match played by Delhi Capitals against Gujarat Titans in which his team narrowly lost by just one run has sparked debate about the approach of the opener in cricket, with Ambati Rayudu stressing ‘mindset’ as the crucial determinant.

Rahul changes his tactics post cautious start
In a match against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad in which DC had to chase an extremely challenging target of 211, Rahul started in a cautious manner making 20 runs from 17 balls before taking control of the innings to reach his fifty in 29 balls. What really caught everyone’s attention was a particularly brilliant over against Prasidh Krishna in which Rahul took six runs each off four consecutive deliveries.

Commenting on the innings, Rayudu said that his shot-making capability has never been a point of discussion for anybody.

“Once he gets into the game, there is no doubt that he will be able to make boundaries off any ball, be it a good ball or a poor one,” Rayudu said to ESPNCricinfo.

‘His battle is mind,’ Rayudu says
While talking about his batting in the match against Gujarat Titans, Rayudu made it very clear that the biggest strength of Rahul is the game he possesses. As mentioned earlier, the biggest hurdle for him is making decisions.

“It’s not about whether he can make shots against a particular delivery or not. All of us know that once he gets into the game, he has the game to play a boundary shot against any ball. His real battle is his mind and that is where he is different from others.”

Excellent inning but DC loses anyway
However, on this particular day, Rahul was clearly aware of the responsibility on his shoulders. Without trying to attack from the beginning, he tried to bat deep and keep his team in the match. Regardless of the regular fall of wickets, he batted well to take the match ahead till the very end.

As a result, Rahul’s innings became the best individual performance of the season for Delhi Capitals in T20 league. Even though DC managed to lose the match at the final ball of the 20th over, KL Rahul’s performance helped Delhi secure the second win against Gujarat Titans.

A strong comeback despite the loss
It is also worth mentioning that Rahul’s recent performance becomes especially valuable