KL Rahul: KL Rahul completed 9000 runs in international cricket by scoring a half-century in the Manchester Test. He surpassed several legends, including Rohit Sharma, by scoring 50+ four times in a Test series in England, placing him second only to Sunil Gavaskar.
The fourth match of the Test series being played between India and England at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester has become memorable for Indian opener KL Rahul. He not only scored a brilliant half-century for the team but also crossed a significant milestone in his international career. During this innings, Rahul completed 9000 international runs, becoming the 16th Indian batsman to achieve this feat.
New Record as an Opener in England
KL Rahul has been consistently scoring runs with his bat in this series. This consistency has now placed him in a special list. He has scored 50+ four times in this ongoing Test series in England. Previously, this record was held by Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 50+ five times in the 1979 series. Rahul has now moved to second place after Gavaskar. With this, he has left behind batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. All of them had scored 50+ three times in a single Test series played in England.
16th Indian to Complete 9000 International Runs
KL Rahul's 14th run in the second innings became historic for his career. With this run, he completed 9000 runs in his international career. Before the start of the fourth Test, Rahul needed 60 runs to reach this achievement. He was dismissed for 46 in the first innings, but he achieved this milestone in the second innings.
The legends who have achieved this feat for India so far include names like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Mohammad Azharuddin, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir, Kapil Dev, and Dilip Vengsarkar. Now KL Rahul's name has also been added to this list.
Important Innings for the Team
In the second innings of the Manchester Test, when India needed a solid start, Rahul took responsibility. He played a composed game and completed his half-century. The pitch was offering assistance to the bowlers, but Rahul focused on shot selection with patience and kept moving the scoreboard forward.
Rahul's Consistency Becomes Team India's Strength
In the last few years, Rahul has been in and out of the team due to injury and form. But his performance in this series shows that he has improved a lot in his game. Especially his technique and footwork in England's swing and seamer conditions have been worth watching.
What's Next?
Rahul's performance is a comforting sign for Team India not only for the ongoing series in England but also for the upcoming international matches. This series is also important from the point of view of the World Test Championship points, and in such a situation, a batsman like Rahul being in form is a big plus point for the team.
Indian Openers with the Most 50+ Scores in England
- 5 times – Sunil Gavaskar (1979)
- 4 times – KL Rahul (2025)
- 3 times – Dinesh Karthik (2007)
- 3 times – Murali Vijay (2014)
- 3 times – Rohit Sharma (2021/22)
- 3 times – Yashasvi Jaiswal (2025)
