India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul made a strong return to red-ball cricket and smashed a brilliant century against the England Lions on Friday. Rahul, who had made himself availabale for India A 's second unofficial Test against the hosts, made the most out of the opportunity and played a sensational knock.
KL Rahul got dismissed for 116 runs against England Lions
Though the 33-year-old did get dismissed during the 62nd over of the first day on 116, the century most likely sealed a spot for him in India's playing XI for the first Test of the five-match series against England which is set to commence from June 20.
The batter was a key figure in the Men in Blue's Test team during the Border-Gavaskar series 2024/25 against Australia and following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the expectations from him are likely to increase in the upcoming assignment against England.
Following Rahul's century for India A, his childhood coach Samuel Jayaraj opened up on how the batter dealt with challenges and what helped him overcome the disappointment of being absent in India's T20I squad that went on to win the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“If you ask me, as a coach, this isn't surprising. He was always ready. He was also a wicketkeeper. He would smartly rotate strike, taking singles on the fourth, fifth, or sixth ball, then face the next over. He follows instructions really well. If you noticed in the Champions Trophy, his role was very specific—and he executed it perfectly,” Jayaraj told The Times of India.
“In fact, despite having a very good ODI World Cup, he wasn't picked for the T20 World Cup. He didn't crib or get frustrated. Because he has seen these things as a kid. That’s why he’s so strong today both mentally and technically. And that’s his biggest strength. He’s matured a lot. He’s been playing cricket at a high level for 10 years now. That experience shows. If you watch him now, he’s a completely different player — much calmer, composed, and in control. For me, that calmness is what stands out the most,” he added.
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Jayaraj also revealed that he recently met Rahul ahead of the England assignment and claimed that a more mature side of him will be seen in the upcoming five-match Test series.
"I always tell him just one thing — enjoy and become. That’s always been my message, my mantra, even my password, you could say. You have to enjoy what you do. You have to be happy. If you're not happy, your body simply won’t respond the way you want it to. In England, a more and more matured KL Rahul will be seen," Jayaraj concluded.
India squad for England Tests: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.