Rahul looks set to steer DC's charge

Soon after he dispatched Yash Dayal into the stands to complete the chase for Delhi Capitals on Thursday night, KL Rahul took off his helmet, drew a circle by the side of the pitch, marked the territory with his bat, and seemed to say, "This is my ground." Indeed.

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI:

It was as cinematic a gesture from Rahul—drawn from 2022 hit Kantara—as it was uncharacteristic, and yet it exemplified the simmering, steely determination with which the 32-year-old is approaching the current season.

In more ways than one, Rahul is a stylish misfit in modern T20s. His calm demeanour and predilection to play himself in before unfurling his range sticks out in an age where the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Nicholas Pooran love to seize the initiative with their six-hitting. But as Rahul showed the other night, there is still merit in the seemingly outdated concepts of shot selection and situational awareness.