KL Rahul has been an anomaly for over a decade. He is one of the few openers around the globe with centuries in England, Australia and South Africa, yet averaging under 35 in Test cricket. The opening batter has displayed immense potential over the years and has started paying dividends only recently.
Having registered a century in the first innings to help India level scores with England, a lot will depend on Rahul when he walks out to bat on Day 5 of the second Test at Lord’s as India have been reduced to 58/4 in a modest chase of 193 runs.
The 33-year-old batter was instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year, playing crucial knocks in the semi-final and the final while batting at No. 6. His calm demeanor has turned to strength, especially in pressure situations. With England pacers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse firing in, it will need Rahul to maintain his composure through the tricky situation, especially in the first hour of the day.
He arrived on the international stage as a classical Test batter in 2014. He was not known for his T20 exploits but that changed when he had a stellar performance in IPL 2016 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and continued his fine run with a two centuries in the shortest format. He followed it up with the then fastest IPL half century in 2018 and became one of the best T20 batters in India.
However, this deterred his Test match abilities and found himself dropped from the team only a year after having registered seven half centuries in as many games — an India record — just before the Covid-19 pandemic. He also found it difficult to keep a fixed spot in ODIs.
His resurgence in the longest format started at Lord’s, when he got a hard fought century in the 2021 tour. Originally set to bat in the middle order, Rahul was promoted as an opener for the series after Shubman Gill suffered an injury and played a key role in India’s success.
He soon captained the Test team in South Africa in the absence of Virat Kohli. However, with the resurgence in Test cricket, Rahul saw himself get criticised for his strike rate in T20s and was soon dropped from the team.
He has grown strength-to-strength post the England series with big scores across the world in ODI and Test cricket. Though consistency has remained a concern, Rahul has turned to be one of India’s key players in overseas conditions.
He has also become an integral part of the ODI team, playing a key role in the 2023 World Cup, when he scored 452 runs at an average of 75. He also holds the record for the fastest century by an Indian in the coveted tournament.
Rahul will be at the centre of action yet again on the final Day at Lord’s, with India’s hopes of taking a lead in the five-match series hanging in balance.
Having registered a century in the first innings to help India level scores with England, a lot will depend on Rahul when he walks out to bat on Day 5 of the second Test at Lord’s as India have been reduced to 58/4 in a modest chase of 193 runs.
The 33-year-old batter was instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year, playing crucial knocks in the semi-final and the final while batting at No. 6. His calm demeanor has turned to strength, especially in pressure situations. With England pacers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse firing in, it will need Rahul to maintain his composure through the tricky situation, especially in the first hour of the day.
KL Rahul: The dependable team man
Rahul, who made his Test debut in 2014, has been in and out of the team ever since. However, it is only post the Covid-19 pandemic that he has sealed his spot at the top of the order in the longest format. In ODIs, Rahul has moved up and down the order, has donned the wicketkeeping gloves and has taken up any role that the team needs to plug. He has emerged as someone who can be dependent upon in the time of a crisis.He arrived on the international stage as a classical Test batter in 2014. He was not known for his T20 exploits but that changed when he had a stellar performance in IPL 2016 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and continued his fine run with a two centuries in the shortest format. He followed it up with the then fastest IPL half century in 2018 and became one of the best T20 batters in India.
However, this deterred his Test match abilities and found himself dropped from the team only a year after having registered seven half centuries in as many games — an India record — just before the Covid-19 pandemic. He also found it difficult to keep a fixed spot in ODIs.
His resurgence in the longest format started at Lord’s, when he got a hard fought century in the 2021 tour. Originally set to bat in the middle order, Rahul was promoted as an opener for the series after Shubman Gill suffered an injury and played a key role in India’s success.
He soon captained the Test team in South Africa in the absence of Virat Kohli. However, with the resurgence in Test cricket, Rahul saw himself get criticised for his strike rate in T20s and was soon dropped from the team.
He has grown strength-to-strength post the England series with big scores across the world in ODI and Test cricket. Though consistency has remained a concern, Rahul has turned to be one of India’s key players in overseas conditions.
He has also become an integral part of the ODI team, playing a key role in the 2023 World Cup, when he scored 452 runs at an average of 75. He also holds the record for the fastest century by an Indian in the coveted tournament.
Rahul will be at the centre of action yet again on the final Day at Lord’s, with India’s hopes of taking a lead in the five-match series hanging in balance.
