Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist praised KL Rahul’s brilliant performance in the Perth Test. Rahul’s innings of 77 runs played a key role in India’s big win of 295 runs over Australia. Let’s know how he proved his skill and utility.
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Who is KL Rahul
Kananur Lokesh Rahul, popularly known as KL Rahul, is a well-known Indian international cricketer. He is playing the role of vice-captain of the Indian national cricket team in all formats. In domestic cricket, he represents the Karnataka team and is the captain of Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rahul is a right-handed batsman and also plays the role of wicketkeeper when needed. He has been included in the Indian team for the ODI World Cup 2023.
Early life and education
KL Rahul was born on 18 April 1992 in Bangalore. His father, Professor KN Lokesh, has been a professor and former director at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Mangalore. His mother, Rajeshwari, is a professor at Mangalore University. Rahul completed his early education at NITK English Medium School and St. Aloysius College in Mangalore. He started playing cricket at the age of 10 and two years later started playing matches for Bangalore United Cricket Club and Mangalore teams. At the age of 18, he moved to Bangalore to enroll in Jain University and pursue a cricket career.
Cricket Career
First Class and Under-19 Career
Rahul made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2010–11 season. The same year he represented India in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and scored 143 runs. In the 2014–15 Duleep Trophy final, he scored two centuries and won the Player of the Match title. He was then selected for the Indian Test team.
International Debut and Achievements
KL Rahul made his Test debut against Australia on 26 December 2014. He scored his first century in his second Test match. In 2016 against Zimbabwe in Harare he achieved the distinction of becoming the first Indian male player to score a century on ODI debut, scoring an unbeaten 100. Rahul is the third Indian player to score a century in all three formats (Test, ODI, T20).
IPL Career
In 2013 Rahul made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In 2018 Kings XI Punjab bought him for Rs 11 crore where he scored the fastest half-century in 14 balls in the very first match. In 2020 he was made the captain of Punjab. In 2022 Lucknow Super Giants appointed him as the captain of the team for Rs 17 crore, making him one of the most expensive players in IPL.
Controversies and Suspensions
In 2019 Rahul and Hardik Pandya were temporarily suspended by the BCCI due to controversial remarks made on a television show *Koffee with Karan*. However, the suspension was lifted from both the players a few weeks later.
Special records
– Rahul holds the record of scoring seven consecutive half-centuries in Test cricket.
– He made it to the list of few players who scored centuries on ODI and Test debut.
– He holds the record of scoring the fastest half-century in 14 balls in IPL history.
Personal life
KL Rahul’s dedication to cricket and versatility makes him an important face of Indian cricket. Be it batting for the team, wicketkeeping or captaincy, Rahul plays every role with full dedication. His journey remains a source of inspiration for new cricketers.
KL Rahul’s versatile performance
Adam Gilchrist praised KL Rahul and said that his multi-faceted talent and ability to adapt to different roles for the team makes him a special player. In the Perth Test, Rahul along with Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) put India in a strong position by sharing over 200 runs for the first wicket. This partnership proved to be the foundation of India’s victory.
Answered the critics by returning to the team
Rahul did not find a place in the initial squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. But after arriving in Australia, he proved his worth by scoring 77 runs off 176 balls in the very first Test. His innings gave a befitting reply to the critics and provided stability to the Indian batting order.
Adam Gilchrist statement on Rahul
In a conversation with Cricbuzz, Gilchrist said: “KL Rahul has the skill to play in every format. He has performed consistently in T20, ODI and Test cricket. However, he is criticized due to the lack of consistency in his performance. Still, Rahul is a versatile player, who is adept at adapting himself according to the needs of the team. The special thing is that he was not part of the main team on this tour, yet he proved his place.”
Ready to play every role
Adam Gilchrist praised Rahul’s team-first approach and multi-faceted ability.
He said:”Rahul has batted at every position from 1 to 6 in his career. He has also handled wicketkeeping in other formats. His role in the Perth Test was not just to score 60-70 runs, but also to guide a young batsman like Yashasvi. It is a game of partnerships, and Rahul did it well.”
Don’t ignore Rahul’s contribution
While Yashasvi Jaiswal is in the news for his first Test century, Adam Gilchrist believes KL Rahul should also get full credit for his contribution. He said:
“Right now the headlines will be about Yashasvi Jaiswal, but KL Rahul’s contribution should not be overlooked. His innings had depth and he gave balance and stability to India. This performance was very important for the team.”
Expectations for the future
KL Rahul’s performance in the Perth Test shows how important a player he is for the Indian team. His batting not only put India in a strong position, but also inspired the young players. Now it remains to be seen whether he is able to maintain this form in the coming matches or not.
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