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Let's face facts. It will be quite a shame if someone like KL Rahul does not end up with 8,000 to 10,000 Test match runs in his career having already approached 3,500 runs. Here is a batsman, who is about as classy as he is determined to succeed.
Someone who puts the interests of his team over and above his own, KL Rahul has played the part of the perfect team man much like Rahul Dravid - having opened, come down at five and adjusted wherever the team needs him to perform in the playing XI.
Thus far, Rahul has also confronted some really world class fast bowlers of the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlwood, Stuart Broad and James Anderson and forget not, Roach, Gabriel and Mustafizur (among the many). But there've also been some in and out moments and injuries that have hurt his career.
At the moment, however, KL Rahul, very much a senior in a Test line-up that no longer has Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli anymore, he will be expected to come good in England. And this makes it most interesting as not only has Rahul scored his highest individual Test score against this very opponent, he's also scored 955 of his 3257 runs versus the English.
That said, let's discover the best of KL Rahul against England:
The 149 at Kennington Oval in London
Back in the year 2018, KL Rahul, it ought to be reminded, used to be a Test opener for India. Those were the days where he had the company of specialist Test batters such as Cheteshwar Pujara and even Shikhar Dhawan, a recurring phenomenon for the nation in the longest format.
But the innings that Rahul played back then in England seemed to have come from an experienced figurehead of the team. With batters like Virat Kohli in peak form, Rahul took the mantle of big scoring upon himself and made a solid 149 in London. This was against peak bowling specialists and established figureheads of the English side, such as Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.
As a matter of fact, KL Rahul's 2018 Kennington Oval special was that particular game's highest individual score.
What was also worth noting about that century effort was that Rahul scored his ton at a strike rate north of 66, which was an answer to his critics who have often taunted him for batting a touch too slow.
The magnificent century at Lord's
Truth be told, it is the dream of every batter to score a century at Lord's, the sport's spiritual home, as many might agree. But what's also true is that many a world class batters have missed reaching this high pedestal in their careers. Some names that missed this cricketing high include Sachin Tendulkar and even Brian Lara.
But what's worth nothing is that those who have managed to strike a ton at Lord's include KL Rahul, a great timer of the ball and someone who bats with a sense of elan.
Back in 2021, with KL Rahul having already become a strong contender in the Test unit of India, he came up with a sparkling Lord's century against a potent attack featuring Ollie Robinson, then a newcomer in England unit, James Anderson and of course, the fastest speedster in that line up: Mark Wood.
He made 129 runs on his own and lasted for 250 odd deliveries.
Together with Rohit Sharma, who scored a gritty fifty in that inning, Rahul took India to a 126-run stand and by the time he got out, India had reached a strong total of 278 runs.
Although that Test should also be remembered for India having perhaps its strongest bowling attack featuring Ishant, Bumrah, Siraj and Shami, it was Rahul's strokeful knock that gave the visitors early advantage with the team winning by a fine margin of 151 runs.
A classy 86 at the 2024 Hyderabad Test
Back in 2024, England came to India for a full-fledged Test series but albeit one where they'd only win a single Test. That victory would come in the Hyderabad game, which opened the series for the two sides.
But while England seemed to struggle in gaining command of the game having made 246, thanks to Bumrah coming through, it was left to the Indian batters to make a contest of the match and so Rahul replied.
With a gutsy and fluent 86 off 123, Rahul seemed comfortable on a tricky surface to bat and scored 8 fours and 2 sixes against the likes of Hartley, Leach and Wood.
On a slow surface where Joe Root emerged as the pick of the bowlers, Rahul, Jaiswal, Jadeja emerged with valiant fifties in India's first innings. They helped the team reach 436, such a promising score in that inning.
KL Rahul's most undersung inning in England
It was back in 2021 where, it could be argued, KL Rahul scored his most under appreciated inning.
After Team India found themselves hammered in the Third Test at Leeds where the hosts won by an innings and 76 runs, with the series hanging in balance, it was upto the Indian batters to come up with the goods.
And KL Rahul played his part by consolidating a fine opening run stand with Rohit that accounted for 83 valuable runs in India's second innings, with the batters having faltered in the earlier opportunity.
The top order needed a fine start with Rahul making 46 watchful runs off 101 deliveries. While Rohit was helped by the right handed opener at the other end to settle down and he eventually scored a fine century, had it not been for Rahul's patient handling of bowlers like OIlie Robinson, Chris Woakes and of couse, Jimmy Anderson, India wouldn't have soldified their position in their final outing with the bat.
Later on, Pujara and Kohli made vital runs to give India a big advantage in the game and the contest was won in the end by the visitors.
The majestic 199
Back in 2016, KL Rahul, make no mistake about it, was still very much new to the Test format, having played just eleven odd Tests before he actually reached a truly great score.
It was a knock, what has since its conception, now almost a decade ago, has remained his highest individual Test score.
Do you remember the 199?
In the third Test during that year's England tour to India, KL Rahul ended 1 short of what should have been a dogged and well-deserved maiden Test double hundred.
Alas, it was never going to be despite the right hander stroking 199 off 311 deliveries in delivering, regardless of anything, a world class hundred.
But the way he handled Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali alongside Stuart Broad, then much younger and still extemely fit, gave an insight into Rahul's technique and solidity at the Test match level.
