My aim is to get back into T20 team, look forward to this IPL to give me platform, Says KL Rahul

KL Rahul, meanwhile, is lying low with the hope of revival, particularly after the next IPL as he wishes to remain in all three formats of the game.

He will look to open the innings if skipper Rohit Sharma does not play in the first Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at Perth. Rahul's form has been a cause of concern for the Indian team as he was recently dropped for the last two Tests against New Zealand at home, with Sarfaraz Khan replacing him.

But the pinch-hitter, who is a joy to watch when at his best, is completely unruffled by his own lean run.

"My aim is to obviously get back into the T20 team. I've always wanted to be an all-format player, and that desire and drive haven't changed over the years. I want to still play for India in all three formats and have done that for many years," said Rahul on Star Sports.

"I haven't been in the T20 team for quite some time. I am clear as a player as to where I stand and what I need to do to get back. So, this IPL season will give me the platform to enjoy my cricket and play the way I would want to," he further clarified.

Since 2022, he has mustered 514 runs in Tests from 12 matches (21 innings) at an average of 25.7, aggregating three half-centuries and a century.

In the conversation, Rahul highlighted his personal ambitions always take a back seat and that the interest of the team is always given precedence first.

"All of us as players want to play with freedom, and everyone would think that the way I batted, I'm enjoying playing that. But like I said, my thought process and motivation have always been team first. It doesn't matter what I want to do or what my natural game is.".

"We play a team sport. If I played tennis, it would be different; I could stick to saying, 'This is my natural game.' But in a team sport, it's very different. Each game, you'll have a different role and responsibility given to you to find a way to deliver for the team," he said.

The last Test hundred of the Bengaluru man was against South Africa at Centurion in December 2023. Since then, he has managed just two fifties in nine innings.