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Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar talked about the transformation he noticed in veteran batter KL Rahul. However, he admitted that while he cannot reveal all the details of Rahul's transformation into a successful Test batter, it was the player's sheer determination that led to his success. Nayar highlighted Rahul's commitment to working hard for the series against England, even to the point of leaving his newborn child behind.
Abhishek Nayar on KL Rahul's transformation
Rahul finished the five-Test series as India's second-highest run-scorer. He scored 532 runs at an impressive average of 53.2, including two centuries and as many half-centuries. He also formed a strong opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Nayar, who previously worked with Rahul as an assistant coach for India, expressed his satisfaction in seeing the positive results of Rahul's hard work.
“I can’t talk about the changes that I’ve seen in KL Rahul. I can’t, because then it’s out there and the effectiveness goes down a lot. All I can say is that, whatever the changes are, they have worked. Sometimes, and I always say in a cricketer’s journey and a team’s journey, things need to click. You need a bit of luck," Nayar said while speaking to PTI.
Following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Rahul immediately began preparing for the England tour, according to former Nayar. The 41-year-old noted that Rahul wasted no time in starting his preparations for the crucial series.
This dedicated approach seems to have paid off, as Rahul has been enjoying a purple patch in Test cricket this year. His batting average currently stands at 45.75, which is his highest since the 46.1 he achieved in 2021.
“He has worked very, very hard. There are very, very few people who know this that after the birth of his child, he was in the IPL (and) he came back immediately. He started preparing for the (England) Test series while a lot of people wouldn’t have done that. He knew the importance of this series; he understood it," Nayar added.
“And every minute post the last game that he played in the IPL, was about how he can do well in this Test series, so it’s great to see him do well there and get the recognition that he rightly deserves, being the guy who’s done all the dirty jobs," he concluded.
However, Rahul could only notch the scores of 14 and 7 in the fifth Test against England. Talking about the match, India are just seven wickets away from winning the Oval Test as England are currently placed at 86/2 as of 23.4 overs with Ollie Pope (13*) and Joe Root (38*) intact on the crease.
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