Team India veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara has taken a dig at Delhi Capitals (DC) batter KL Rahul for his approach during the IPL 2025 match against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Pujara said that the wicketkeeper-batter didn’t show attacking intent despite being well-set at the crease in the 32nd match of IPL 2025.
The Delhi Capitals secured a Super Over victory against the Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, April 16. The Royals managed to level the scores at 188/4 in their chase, forcing the match into a Super Over. RR posted 11 runs in the extra over, but KL Rahul guided DC home with an unbeaten 7 off 3 balls.
KL Rahul Dismissed After Scoring 38 Off 32 Balls vs Rajasthan Royals
Rahul walked in at No. 4 after the early dismissals of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Karun Nair. While Abishek Porel showed intent from one end, Rahul adopted a more cautious approach. With the Capitals needing momentum, Rahul was dismissed after scoring 38 off 32 balls, including two fours and two sixes.
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He tried to accelerate by pulling Jofra Archer. However, the right-handed batter was caught in the deep by Shimron Hetmyer. After his dismissal, Tristan Stubbs and captain Axar Patel provided late cameos to give DC a strong finish, pushing the total to 188/5 in 20 overs—a score they successfully defended.
KL Rahul Wanted To Play 15-20 Balls And Then Go Out – Cheteshwar Pujara
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Cheteshwar Pujara questioned KL Rahul’s batting approach. He stated that Rahul lacked intent and missed the opportunity to accelerate after getting set. Pujara pointed out that Rahul seemed to focus on saving his wicket rather than taking on the bowlers.
“KL, being the senior player, I think he wanted to play 15-20 balls and then go out. But, at the same time, he should have attacked a bit more, because he was set, he had enough chance to look at the pitch, and he knew the conditions by then,” Pujara said.
“His batting order has changed a bit, too. So, I mean, he is just trying to figure out. He normally does go hard in the powerplay, but after that, that is the period where he needs to be a little more aggressive. It looked like he wanted to save his wicket rather than play his natural game,” he added.
KL Rahul Told Me To Take Your Time – Tristan Stubbs
KL Rahul was also under scrutiny during the match against Mumbai Indians (MI), where he managed just 15 runs from 13 balls before falling to Karn Sharma.
Speaking after the match, Tristan Stubbs, who batted with Rahul in the Super Over, said, “He (Sandeep) was going for slower-ball bouncers, so I committed to that shot. KL told me take your time, this is all about handling pressure.”
Following their victory, Delhi Capitals have climbed to the top of the IPL 2025 points table, with 10 points from five wins and one loss. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are in eighth place, having secured two wins but suffered five defeats.
Also read: “Terrible Decisions”- Rahul Dravid-led Rajasthan Royals management blasted for Super Over drama
