Follow UsKL Rahul has looked in fine form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, having already slammed three fifties in the tournament. His latest was a match-winning 57* off 42 against his former team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Former England batter Nick Knight observed that with Rahul not leading in the IPL, he has been allowed to play a bit more freely, unlike previous seasons, where he led LSG and Punjab Kings (PBKS).
"Captaincy can do funny things to you - sometimes you thrive on it, sometimes it's a burden," Knight said on ESPNCricinfo's TimeOut.
"Whether that's had any impact, of not being captain now, just being free and being able to play the match situation.
"We've got this obsession in cricket that the best player has to be captain. That's not always the case, is it? I'm not saying that's the case with KL Rahul, or even Rishabh Pant, but he's batting with so much freedom and looks relaxed in the crease."
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, too, has praised Rahul for not carrying any baggage from the previous seasons. "Just move on, don't carry any baggage from the past," Pujara said.
"And that's a good thing. Look, KL is a mature player. Last couple of years, he's been batting well across formats. He doesn't want to think about the past and wants to enjoy his batting and be in his zone, rather than think about what went wrong when he was playing for the LSG team.
"It's good to move on, which will also help him play well for DC and even for the Indian team. Lately, he is someone the India team also relies on because of the way he's batting. Even as a person, he looks a lot more mature now. He understands his game very well. We have seen a different KL Rahul this season. When he started [against LSG], he didn't look that [fluid], but still he picked it up."
Rahul, who missed DC's first game of the season due to the birth of his first child, is the team's leading run-getter with 323 runs at 64.40 and a strike rate of 153.80. He has already slammed three fifties in seven innings so far.