IPL 2026: ‘There is almost no time to think’ – KL Rahul applaudes Jofra Archer for his street smart bowling

Delhi Capitals (DC) star KL Rahul has spoken highly of Rajasthan Royals (RR) and England fast bowler Jofra Archer. The wicketkeeper-batter credited the smartness with which the fast bowler bowls to the opposition batters, which makes the matchup extremely interesting. 

Rahul stated that modern-day T20 bowlers, like Archer, can anticipate what batters are trying to do against them and thus bowl accordingly, making it challenging for the batters to get the better of him. 

“When you face someone like Jofra Archer, you try to use his pace against him. But he is incredibly smart. He knows what the batter is planning to do. Bowlers today are highly skilled and sharp. They read your mind and cut off your options before you even think of them. So, the contest comes down to just one ball. It becomes a simple but intense battle. Jofra versus KL. Only one of them comes out on top. It all depends on who reacts better in that moment,” KL Rahul said in an interview with the Delhi Capitals.

Rahul stated that whilst facing a fast bowler like Archer, he completely relies on his instincts. The best way to score runs against the Englishman is not to overcomplicate things and play the natural game, without taking a host of pressure. 

“With Jofra, there is almost no time to think. It is pure instinct and adrenaline. Whether you are looking defensive or aggressive, the bowler picks up on that. Every small detail counts in that split second. Jofra has his clear strengths, but I have my strengths too. He will also think about my strengths and try to bowl away from them. That is what makes the contest exciting. Both sides are trying to out-think each other. I just focus on playing the best shot I can play against Jofra in each situation and executing it under pressure without overcomplicating things,” KL Rahul added. 

Both Rahul and Archer are enjoying excellent campaigns at the ongoing 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indian batter has scored 533 runs at a strike-rate of almost 173, while the RR strike bowler has 17 wickets to his name from 12 matches. 

KL Rahul heaps praise on RCB’s fast bowling duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood

In continuation of talking about the bowlers that he has faced in the IPL, Rahul also gave credit to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. 

The 34-year-old stated that one of the main reasons why Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar succeed in the IPL is due to the fact that they keep things simple and do not overcomplicate things in the process. 

“In today’s T20 cricket, everyone talks about having a unique bowling style or an X-factor. But Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are very simple, traditional bowlers. Yet, year after year, they keep succeeding and troubling batters. That tells us that you don’t always need to try something different. Simple things work if you do them consistently and under pressure. That is what I admire about Josh and Bhuvi. With many bowlers, if you hit them off their good ball, they panic and try something new,” KL Rahul said.

“But with Josh and Bhuvi, no matter what you do, they stick to their plan. They keep attacking the stumps. Every ball is aimed at a length where you can be bowled, LBW, or caught behind. They always keep all three modes of dismissal in play. Over a long IPL season, that consistency of doing the simple things right is what brings them success and makes them so hard to face,” he added. 

Bhuvneshwar is currently the Purple Cap holder in the IPL, having picked up 24 wickets from 13 matches, at an economy rate of 7.70. Hazlewood, on the other hand, has 12 scalps to his name from 10 outings.