KL Rahul is going to be a key player for Team India in the upcoming 5-match Test series against England. India’s tour of England will go all guns blazing from June 20, with the Test opener slated to be played at Headingley Carnegie. With both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma calling it quits from Test cricket last month, there is indeed a big gap in India’s batting line-up.
Shubman Gill will be leading the team from the front with plenty of youngsters in the setup. However, someone who knows the tricks and trade of performing in the English conditions needs to step up, and right now, Rahul looks like the best man for the job.
KL Rahul scores an impressive century against England Lions
KL Rahul has already shown signs of good form. As of now, he is playing for India A in the unofficial Test against the England Lions. The right-hander scored a brilliant century for India A. Batting at the County Ground in Northampton, he made 116 runs off 168 balls with 15 fours and a six. It is exactly the kind of solid, patient knock India will need in England.
That century is important. Not just for KL Rahul, but for the team going forward into the main event. It shows that Rahul is geared up to showcase his mettle. KL Rahul has played 9 Tests against England and scored 614 runs at an average of 34.11. He has two centuries and one fifty against them. Overall, he scored 955 runs at an average close to 40 against England in Test cricket.
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With no Kohli or Rohit around, Rahul now becomes one of the most senior batters. India will need him to lead the way. They will need him to dig deep, to stay in the middle when things get tough, and to guide the younger players coming in.
It is going to be the beginning of a new chapter not just for him but for Indian Test cricket in general since the batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma quit this format. If Rahul keeps this form going, he could very well become the backbone of India’s batting in the post-Kohli, post-Rohit era.