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102 Test innings, 3394 runs, a batting average nearly touching 35 and above all, four of his test match centuries now against England, KL Rahul is one of those who stay truest to the adage- the more challenging the opposition, the greater his game becomes.
A batter who is in the classical mould with the bat, Rahul, the boy from Bangalore has become a household name in India wherever test cricket, in particular, is respected and considered the true litmus test of gauging a player's true ability.
His recent test century, which is in the ongoing Headingley Test at Leeds is enough evidence to believe in his outstanding abilities of focus and concentration.
Let us look at the Test tons that Rahul has hit against England:
Lord's, 2021
It was back in the year 2021, where KL Rahul struck a focused and typically reslient 129 watching hard and getting a key eye in as he faced 250 deliveries in scoring that fine century.
But back in that time, Rahul, a name for consistency and reslience, was up against the big two of England- Stuart Broad and James Anderson and batting wasn't easy.
But KL still found a way to lead India's charge with the bat. It was a century to savour for it came at Lord's.
Even the mighties such as Lara and Tendulkar haven't ever hit a three figure mark at this colossally important cricketing venue.
Kennington Oval, 2018
The year was 2018, and KL Rahul was just a little over 4 years old in Test cricket. Even today, he's not even played Test cricket for a decade but still plays with the elan and class of an elederly statesman of the game.
But seven years back in the day, on a tough pitch to get runs on, Rahul got his eye in. Remember, those were the days of Rahul and Dhawan opening the batting for the country. And KL, in the second innings for India, hung in there although scoring fluently and consistently scoring 149 off 224 deliveries to bring up a valiant hundred.
On the other hand, batters like the great Sir Alastair Cook were in fine form, the gutsy left hander notching up a great 147 following his first inning effort of 71.
England eventually prevailed but Rahul led the fight alone for India on that occasion.
Bengaluru, 2016
While Rahul's brought up another handsome hundred against a familiar opponent, it is not really that hard a surprise to note his milestone for the simple reason that even his highest-individual Test score came against this very opponent.
Back in 2016, the third year for Rahul of playing test cricket, the right hander came up with a magnificent 199, still his highest test score, at a batting paradise of a track at MA Chidambaram stadium.
This was an inning of calculated risk taking and fluent batting, the elegant glances and the rasp cuts being a predominant feature.
At the behest of Rahul's dogged 199, India made a mammoth 759 but with Karun Nair, too, registering a great triple hundred in the very same outing.
Headingley, 2025
At the moment, the way KL Rahu is going, having already established himself out there and having spent quite some time in the middle, it could be said that this third inning could be a really big outing with the willow for one of India's most dependable current players.
Such a joy to watch!
Against an attack that might not be England's strongest especially in the absence of Wood, Archer and Atkinson, Rahul still should be credited for reading Bashir's spin so well and for countering fire with fire where it comes to locking horns against Carse, relatively still new to Test match cricket.
In stitching a valiant stand with firebrand batter keeper Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul has been batting beautifully and responsibly, something that comes naturally to him. He ended up scoring 137 runs in the second innings against England.
