TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: Team management changed, seasons varied and conditions became different but the
KL Rahul situation remained the same. Potential met opportunities but never translated into consistent success. Amid the frustrating wait to see potential meeting consistency came masterpieces - Centurion, Lord's - but they remained far and few. The average remained in the mid 30s, pressure kept mounting, captaincy distractions happened along the way and the odd movement up and down the batting order didn't really help the already struggling cause. So many ifs and buts have dominated his over 11-year Test career but, and this but hits different, there has been a sense of clarity in the way he has gone about in the whites this year.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!From an outstanding series in England to a solid hundred vs West Indies to kick-off the home season, Rahul hasn't looked this assured in a very long time. Unlike many others who have played with and even against him, the right-hander has enjoyed the backing of the different think-tanks who had been waiting for him to do what he has been doing in 2025 - score consistently. There was always that chatter of how he had moved positions, done different roles but for the majority of his career he has been asked to do what he was identified for.
Out of the 64 Tests he has played, it was only in 10 that he didn't open the innings. The rest 54 have been in a position he had always been comfortable in but the returns were far from satisfactory, even after that constant backing.
"There is a myth about KL Rahul that he has frequently moved up and down in the batting order in Test cricket. In 110 innings before this, he has batted as an opener in 94. He has batted as an opener 90 per cent of his career,"
Ravi Shastri noted on air.
The observations and statistics have backed how Rahul, an immensely talented batter, has underachieved. An already long career but carried the undertone of "what could have been" before he cleared his head, took fresh guard and has never looked back since then. The absence from the leadership group has further allowed him to focus only on his batting. A stint at Red Bull High Performance centre helped him to work on his mental aspect during the off-season and England saw a very assured opener take guard.
The kind of assurance which was seen during his twin tons in the Duleep Trophy final before Australia tour call and the kind of assurance different management craved for in the last decade. There are three more Tests to go and he has already had his best year in the format, becoming a mainstay in this batting line-up undergoing transition and looks set to improve the script of his Test career.
There is a sense of purpose in the way he has gone about in the format and it started during the home season last year. A chat with head coach
Gautam Gambhir happened during the New Zealand series where he asked the management to send him early to Australia for the India A match before Border Gavaskar Trophy. It has very much become a part of the routine now as he reached England early for A game and played vs Australia A in Lucknow before joining the Test squad in Ahmedabad for the home season opener.
He has found a method which is working for him and it's now about sticking to it. The results will take care of itself.
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