KL Rahul has suddenly found himself bearing far more responsibility in the Indian Test team, as he graduated into being a senior player with a lot more on his table than even just 6 months prior. The retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have converted him into the veteran leader of the batting unit, and that is certainly a tag he lived up to at Headingley, as he scored a graceful, in-complete-control 137 in the third innings.
While Rahul’s talent and top-end quality is beyond reproach, he has often struggled with consistency and reliability through his career. Rahul is attempting to solve that issue in his game, and after a 2025 that has seen him find his groove in ODI cricket and now possibly Tests, he seems to have found the mental key for that edge.
“I am just getting runs now. There was a time when I would get starts but not convert them into big scores, especially in Tests,” said KL Rahul straightforwardly to Sky Cricket after the fourth day’s play in Leeds. “I am much calmer in my head and not chasing numbers anymore. I just want to enjoy my cricket as much as I can.”
KL Rahul prioritises creating an impact for India over personal accolades
While Rahul’s mind may no longer be on numbers, they do now say that eight of his nine Test centuries have been scored overseas. Rahul’s opening role wasn’t nailed down, with criticism over his poor average despite repeated in the Test team often lobbed at him. However, he will have hoped to have turned a page, given the showcase he put on at Headingley.
{{/usCountry}}While Rahul’s mind may no longer be on numbers, they do now say that eight of his nine Test centuries have been scored overseas. Rahul’s opening role wasn’t nailed down, with criticism over his poor average despite repeated in the Test team often lobbed at him. However, he will have hoped to have turned a page, given the showcase he put on at Headingley.
{{/usCountry}}While the numbers might not be make-or-break for Rahul, he does have the distinction of being the player with the most centuries as an opener in England, this being his third of his career. He outdoes Rahul Dravid, who previously had two, as well as Sunul Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri.
Rahul isn’t happy with where his average is, but he has also realised that if he plays well and finds a zone for himself, the runs and that average will follow.
“Of course, it hurts when I look at my average. But at this stage, I don’t want to think about numbers. I want to make an impact whenever I get a chance and enjoy playing Test cricket for India and it’s what I grew up loving,” explained Rahul.
With all the talent to be a gamechanger of a player in this Test series, it goes over to the Indian bowling unit to try and produce a result in the first Test match, with England needing a further 350 runs and India needing all 10 wickets in an incredibly balanced contest heading into day 5.