Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has revealed that KL Rahul spent every available minute preparing for the England tour after the IPL, crediting the veteran batter’s commitment and adaptability for his success in the five-match Test series. KL Rahul, who amassed 532 runs at an average of 53.20, including two centuries and two fifties, was India’s second-highest run-scorer in the series. He played key roles across different positions in the batting order and formed a solid opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Despite being without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India’s batting hardly struggled in England. In fact, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and even allrounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar stood up in a memorable campaign. “Shubman Gill (754 runs), KL Rahul (532) and Ravindra Jadeja (516), India’s batters became just the sixth trio in Test history to pass 500 runs in the same series,” according to ICC
KL Rahul’s impressive performance with the Bat in England
KL Rahul stepped up as the most experienced batter in India’s Test side and played a key role in levelling the five-match series 2-2. KL Rahul scored 532 runs across 10 innings, averaging a solid 53.2, as he looked composed and assured throughout, even under pressure.
After scoring two magnificent hundreds at Trent Bridge and Lord’s, KL Rahul just missed out on his third century of the tour of England in Manchester. The elegant Indian opener KL Rahul played a gritty and restrained knock of 90 in the decisive third innings of the fourth Test, helping the tourists come out unscathed with a draw.
KL Rahul played his first Test in England at Edgbaston from August 1 to 4 in 2018, and in that he batted at No. 3 in both innings but was only able to score 4 and 13 runs. However, in the next 12 fixtures in England, he has always opened the innings.
KL Rahul has impressed with his batting performances in the ongoing India-England Test series. He scored 42 runs in the first innings of the series opener played at Headingley in Leeds from June 20 to 24 and amassed a total of 137 runs in the second. But despite his super show with the bat, India suffered a heartbreaking defeat by 5 wickets.
In the first innings of the second Test played at Edgbaston from July 2 to 6, Rahul got out for just two runs, but in the second innings, he hammered 55 runs. In the third Test played at Lord’s, KL Rahul scored 100 runs in the first innings and 39 in the second. He is the second Indian batter after Dilip Vengsarkar to score multiple Test centuries at Lord’s. KL Rahul returned back at Manchester with India at deep trouble 0 for 2 and scored a gritty 90 runs .
Former Indian batting coach and Selector Sanjay Bangar praised KL Rahul for his reliable performances and also considered him as a perfect ally to Indian skipper Shubman Gill.
KL Rahul was looking at entire team as elder statesman- Sanjay Bangar
Sanjay Bangar praised Indian opener KL Rahul for showing more involvement in the series. He hailed the top-order batter for his consistency and acted as a great ally to Shubman Gill during tough times.
“He certainly looked the part and added to whatever he has done as a batsman by consuming a lot of balls and being very consistent throughout, the kind of slip catching we could see from him and being an able ally to Shubman Gill at times. You could also see a side of KL Rahul which wasn’t seen earlier, where he was having a lot of chats with the opponents and the umpires at times,” said Bangar
“In a sense, he was looking at the entire team as an elder statesman. He seemed to be at ease with himself. It just felt like he had so much more time. Without KL Rahul, the Indian middle order would have been exposed way too early. It doesn’t happen often that opening batters from the subcontinent go to England and survive a five-Test series unchanged. The batting numbers that followed were primarily because of the foundation both these openers laid.” he concluded
KL Rahul kicked of the 2025 Anderson -Tendulkar Trophy 2025 , with scores of 42 and 137 at Leeds . He contributed 55 runs in the second innings in Birmingham and followed it up with 100 and 39 at Lord’s and 49 and 90 at Manchester. The opener ended the series with low scores of 14 and 7 at The Oval.
While Rahul’s overall Test numbers are disappointing , he has a pretty good red-ball cricket record in England. In 14 matches in England , he has scored 1146 runs at an average of 40.92 , with four hundreds and three half-centuries. The right-handed batter scored 149 at The Oval in 2018 and a match-winning 129 at Lord’s in 2021. He also scored 84 in Nottingham during the same tour.
Rahul’s disciplined and patient approach in this Test series marked a tectonic shift in his Test career. Earlier, KL Rahul’s red-ball career was a tale of inconsistency, but in England, he turned a switch and came out as one of the best batters in the series. In addition to his batting, his slip catching played a key role in India drawing the series 2-2.
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