In many ways, KL Rahul was India's unsung hero in the Champions Trophy 2025. Constantly under pressure to keep his place in the side ahead of Rishabh Pant as a keeper-batter, Rahul produced consistent performances behind the stumps. He made invaluable contributions with the bat in pressure situations. His astute decision-making and clear signals were the biggest help for captain Rohit Sharma while making DRS calls. Of the many hats Rahule wore during India's title-winning run at the Champions Trophy, he considered keeping wickets to India's sin quartet the most difficult.
Among all eight participating teams, India was the only one with five genuine spin options in their squad. That three of them - Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar - were equally good with the willow was an added advantage that no other side had. Sundar did not get to play a game but the other four - Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav being the two specialist spinners - played a key role in India's unbeaten run at the tournament.
Chakaravarthy, who started featuring in the XI in the last group game against New Zealand, returned as India's joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with pacer Mohammed Shami after playing just three matches. He picked up 9 wickets at a strike rate of 20. His spin-bowling partner Kuldeep picked up 7 while the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders Jadeja and Axar shared 10 wickets among them. India's spinners picked up 26 wickets in the Champions Trophy - by far the most by any team.
Rahul witnessed it all from behind the stumps. But when asked by TV presenter Sanjana Ganesan, who also happens to be the wife of India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, about the "fun" quotient of keeping to India's spin quartet, Rahul replied: "Not fun, Sanjana! I have had to squat 200-250 times when these spinners are bowling."
{{/usCountry}}Rahul witnessed it all from behind the stumps. But when asked by TV presenter Sanjana Ganesan, who also happens to be the wife of India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, about the "fun" quotient of keeping to India's spin quartet, Rahul replied: "Not fun, Sanjana! I have had to squat 200-250 times when these spinners are bowling."
{{/usCountry}}The answer brought out an instant laughter from Sanjana, who was working for the ICC during the marquee event.
"They are high quality. The pitches obviously assisted them a bit, which made them even more dangerous. That makes it even more challenging for me behind the stumps. The way they have bowled, the way they have used those conditions have been phenomenal," Rahul continued.
Rahul reflects on India's Champions Trophy win
"ICC victories are not so easy to get and it's my first one, so I'm over the moon," Rahul said.
"It's been a complete team effort, all 11-12 players have stood up and their chance and opportunity has come and it's one of the biggest reasons why we have ended up winning the tournament."
An elegant batsman, Rahul started off as an opener for India in white-ball cricket.
But a loss of form and intense media scrutiny forced him to reinvent his batting.
He dropped down to number six recently as he edged out Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
"What I have been taught by my coaches from an early age is that cricket's a team game and whatever the team requires of you, you need to be able to do that," said Rahul, who sports a trademark beard and a man bun on his tattooed, athletic frame.
"It requires a lot of preparation, lot of work outside the field. I just watch and learn from the batsmen I like at four, five, six."
Rahul started his cricketing journey as a wicketkeeper-batsman but had given up the gloves in domestic cricket.
It was not until an injury to Pant against Australia in 2020 that he again stood behind the stumps.
"I kept wickets in the series, played at number five and performed well," said Rahul.
"From then on the captain and team management thought I could do that role."