K. L. Rahul: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox cricketer
{{Infobox cricketer
| name              = KL Rahul
| name              = KL Rahul
| image              = K.L. Rahul (1).jpg
| image              = KL Rahul at Femina Miss India 2018 Grand Finale (cropped).jpg
| caption            = KL Rahul in 2019
| caption            = KL Rahul in 2018
| fullname          = Kananur Lokesh Rahul
| fullname          = Kannanur Lokesh Rahul
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1992|04|18|df=y}}
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1992|04|18|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]], India
| birth_place        = [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]


| height            = 184 cm 
| height            =  
| nickname          = KL
| nickname          = KL
| batting            = Right-handed
| batting            = Right-handed
Line 35: Line 35:
| odidebutdate      = 11 June
| odidebutdate      = 11 June
| odidebutyear      = 2016
| odidebutyear      = 2016
| lastodidate        = 22 March
| lastodidate        = 11 October
| lastodiyear        = 2023
| lastodiyear        = 2023
| lastodiagainst    = Australia
| lastodiagainst    = Afghanistan
| odishirt          = 1 (formerly 2, 11)
| odishirt          = 1 (formerly 2, 11)


Line 69: Line 69:
| catches/stumpings1 = 54/–
| catches/stumpings1 = 54/–
| column2            = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| column2            = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches2          = 54
| matches2          = 62
| runs2              = 1,986
| runs2              = 2,388
| bat avg2          = 45.13
| bat avg2          = 49.75
| 100s/50s2          = 5/13
| 100s/50s2          = 6/16
| top score2        = 112
| top score2        = 112
| catches/stumpings2 = 32/2
| catches/stumpings2 = 32/2
Line 94: Line 94:
| year              = 2023
| year              = 2023
| family            = {{Marriage|[[Athiya Shetty]]|2023}}
| family            = {{Marriage|[[Athiya Shetty]]|2023}}
|medaltemplates=<!--MENTION HOST NATIONS FOR TEAM SPORTS-->
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Cricket]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asia Cup|ACC Asia Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Winner|[[2018 Asia Cup|2018 UAE]]|}}
{{Medal|Winner|[[2023 Asia Cup|2023 Pakistan and Sri Lanka]]|}}
}}
}}


'''Kananur Lokesh Rahul''' (born 18 April 1992) is an Indian [[Cricket|international cricketer]] who plays as a right-handed [[Wicketkeeper|Wicketkeeper-Batsman]] for [[Karnataka cricket team|Karnataka]] at the domestic level and is the captain for [[Lucknow Super Giants]] in the [[Indian Premier League]]. He is a former vice-captain of the [[Indian Cricket Team]].<ref>https://www.wionews.com/sports/kl-rahuls-removal-as-vice-captain-doesnt-indicate-anything-says-rohit-sharma-ahead-of-ind-aus-3rd-test-566848#:~:text=Story%20highlights&text=After%20the%20second%20Test%20between,for%20the%20final%20two%20Tests.</ref>
'''Kannanur Lokesh Rahul''' ({{lang-kn|ಕೆ.ಎಲ್.ರಾಹುಲ್}}; born 18 April 1992) is an Indian [[Cricket|international cricketer]] who plays as a right-handed [[Wicketkeeper|Wicketkeeper-Batsman]] for [[Karnataka cricket team|Karnataka]] at the domestic level and is the captain for [[Lucknow Super Giants]] in the [[Indian Premier League]]. He is a former captain and vice-captain of the [[India national cricket team|Indian Cricket Team]].


He generally plays as an opener in ''Test'' and ''T20'' game formats and plays in the middle order in the ''ODIs''. Rahul is regular [[Wicket-keeper|wicketkeeper]] in the shorter formats of the game at the international level as well at domestic level. He's also one of the more prominent members in leading the discussion around the theory of strike rates being overrated in T20s.  
He generally plays as an opener in ''Test'' and ''T20I'' game formats and plays in the middle order in the ''ODIs''. Rahul is regular [[Wicket-keeper|wicketkeeper]] in the shorter formats of the game at the international level as well at domestic level. Rahul was a member of the Indian team that won the [[2018 Asia Cup|2018]] and [[2023 Asia Cup|2023]] Asia cup.  


He made his international debut in 2014 against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in the [[Boxing Day Test|Boxing Day Test-match]] in [[Melbourne Cricket Ground|Melbourne]]. Two years after his [[Test cricket|Test]] debut, Rahul made his [[One Day International|One-Day International]] Debut in 2016 against [[Zimbabwe national cricket team|Zimbabwe]]. Later on the same tour, he made his [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] debut.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=KL Rahul|publisher=ESPNCricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/kl-rahul-422108}}</ref>
He made his international debut in 2014 against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in the [[Boxing Day Test|Boxing Day Test-match]] in [[Melbourne Cricket Ground|Melbourne]]. Two years after his [[Test cricket|Test]] debut, Rahul made his [[One Day International|One-Day International]] Debut in 2016 against [[Zimbabwe national cricket team|Zimbabwe]]. Later on the same tour, he made his [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] debut.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=KL Rahul|publisher=ESPNCricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/kl-rahul-422108}}</ref>


Rahul is the first Indian cricketer to score an ODI [[Century (cricket)|century]] on his debut. He is the fastest batsman to score an International century across all three formats, he took only 20 innings to achieve this feat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KL Rahul|publisher=Sportskeeda |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/player/kl-rahul}}</ref>
Rahul is the first and only Indian cricketer to score an ODI [[Century (cricket)|century]] on his debut. He is the fastest batsman to score an International century across all three formats, he took only 20 innings to achieve this feat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KL Rahul|publisher=Sportskeeda |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/player/kl-rahul}}</ref>


==Early and personal life==
==Early and personal life==
Rahul was born on 18 April 1992 to K. N. Lokesh and Rajeshwari in [[Bangalore]]. His father Lokesh who hails from Kananur, [[Magadi]] taluk, is a professor and former director at the [[National Institute of Technology Karnataka]] (NITK)<ref>{{Cite web|title= CV of Dr. K. N. Lokesh|url=http://civil.nitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/faculty-CV/Lokesh_CV.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512214847/http://civil.nitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/faculty-CV/Lokesh_CV.pdf|archive-date=12 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Directors {{!}} NITK Surathkal|url=https://www.nitk.ac.in/Former_Directors|access-date=26 October 2020|website=www.nitk.ac.in}}</ref> in [[Mangalore]]. His mother, Rajeshwari, is a professor at [[Mangalore University]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.india.com/sports/cricket-kl-rahul-feels-2019-suspension-changed-his-thought-process-helps-him-to-become-better-team-player-4057523/ |title= KL Rahul Feels 2019 Suspension Changed His Thought Process, Helps Him to Become Better 'Team Player' pandemic |newspaper=India.com |access-date=26 March 2021 |date=14 June 2020}}</ref> Lokesh, who was a fan of cricketer [[Sunil Gavaskar]], wanted to name his son after Gavaskar's, but mistook [[Rohan Gavaskar]]'s name for Rahul.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaishankar |first1=Vedam |title=India vs West Indies: KL Rahul's story would probably do a movie scriptwriter proud |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/india-vs-west-indies-kl-rahuls-story-would-probably-do-a-movie-scriptwriter-proud-2926970.html |access-date=14 February 2020 |work=Firstpost |date=1 August 2016}}</ref>
Rahul was born on 18 April 1992 to K. N. Lokesh and Rajeshwari in [[Bangalore]]. His father Lokesh who hails from Kannanur, [[Magadi]] taluk, is a professor and former director at the [[National Institute of Technology Karnataka]] (NITK)<ref>{{Cite web|title= CV of Dr. K. N. Lokesh|url=http://civil.nitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/faculty-CV/Lokesh_CV.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512214847/http://civil.nitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/faculty-CV/Lokesh_CV.pdf|archive-date=12 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Directors {{!}} NITK Surathkal|url=https://www.nitk.ac.in/Former_Directors|access-date=26 October 2020|website=www.nitk.ac.in}}</ref> in [[Mangalore]]. His mother, Rajeshwari, is a professor at [[Mangalore University]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.india.com/sports/cricket-kl-rahul-feels-2019-suspension-changed-his-thought-process-helps-him-to-become-better-team-player-4057523/ |title= KL Rahul Feels 2019 Suspension Changed His Thought Process, Helps Him to Become Better 'Team Player' pandemic |newspaper=India.com |access-date=26 March 2021 |date=14 June 2020}}</ref> His father, Lokesh who was a fan of cricketer [[Sunil Gavaskar]], wanted to name his son after Gavaskar's son, but mistook [[Rohan Gavaskar]]'s name for Rahul.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaishankar |first1=Vedam |title=India vs West Indies: KL Rahul's story would probably do a movie scriptwriter proud |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/india-vs-west-indies-kl-rahuls-story-would-probably-do-a-movie-scriptwriter-proud-2926970.html |access-date=14 February 2020 |work=Firstpost |date=1 August 2016}}</ref>


Rahul grew up in [[Mangalore]], completing his high school at NITK English Medium School and pre-university at [[St. Aloysius College (Mangalore)|St. Aloysius College]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Achal |first1=Ashwin |title=K.L. Rahul: A classy talent with an aggressive streak |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/kl-rahul-a-classy-talent-with-an-aggressive-streak/article27226734.ece |access-date=27 March 2021 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> He started cricket training at the age of 10, and, two years later, started playing matches for both Bangalore United Cricket Club and his club in Mangalore.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Achal |first1=Ashwin |title=World Cup: Mangalore, Bangalore, England - the Rahul journey! |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/magazine/world-cup-k-l-rahul-player-profile-team-india-rahul-dravid-ksca-chinnaswamy-stadium/article27205940.ece |access-date=14 February 2020 |work=Sportstar |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> At age 18, he moved to [[Bangalore]] to study at [[Jain University]] and pursue his cricket career.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oneindia.com/sports/cricket/boxing-day-test-who-is-kl-rahul-india-debutant-1603556.html|title=Boxing Day Test: Who is KL Rahul?|website=www.oneindia.com|date=26 December 2014|access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://m.rediff.com/cricket/report/lokesh-rahul-dad-gavaskar-opener-india-test-team-australia-samuel-jayaraj/20141112.htm|title=Rahul's dad, a Gavaskar fan, happy son is selected for Aus tour as opener|website=Rediff|access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Steady climber Lokesh Rahul reaches the top with trip Down Under|date=11 November 2014|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/steady-climber-rahul-reaches-the-top-with-trip-down-under/|publisher=The Indian Express|access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref>
Rahul grew up in [[Mangalore]], completing his high school at NITK English Medium School and pre-university at [[St. Aloysius College (Mangalore)|St. Aloysius College]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Achal |first1=Ashwin |title=K.L. Rahul: A classy talent with an aggressive streak |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/kl-rahul-a-classy-talent-with-an-aggressive-streak/article27226734.ece |access-date=27 March 2021 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> He started cricket training at the age of 10, and, two years later, started playing matches for both Bangalore United Cricket Club and his club in Mangalore.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Achal |first1=Ashwin |title=World Cup: Mangalore, Bangalore, England - the Rahul journey! |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/magazine/world-cup-k-l-rahul-player-profile-team-india-rahul-dravid-ksca-chinnaswamy-stadium/article27205940.ece |access-date=14 February 2020 |work=Sportstar |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> At age 18, he moved to [[Bangalore]] to study at [[Jain University]] and pursue his cricket career.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oneindia.com/sports/cricket/boxing-day-test-who-is-kl-rahul-india-debutant-1603556.html|title=Boxing Day Test: Who is KL Rahul?|website=www.oneindia.com|date=26 December 2014|access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://m.rediff.com/cricket/report/lokesh-rahul-dad-gavaskar-opener-india-test-team-australia-samuel-jayaraj/20141112.htm|title=Rahul's dad, a Gavaskar fan, happy son is selected for Aus tour as opener|website=Rediff|access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Steady climber Lokesh Rahul reaches the top with trip Down Under|date=11 November 2014|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/steady-climber-rahul-reaches-the-top-with-trip-down-under/|publisher=The Indian Express|access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref>
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[[File:K.L. Rahul.jpg|right|thumb|170px|K.L. Rahul amid practice session (2019)]]
[[File:K.L. Rahul.jpg|right|thumb|170px|K.L. Rahul amid practice session (2019)]]


===Test Debut (2014-16)===
===Debut and early career (2014-2021)===
Rahul made his Test debut in the 2014 [[Boxing Day Test]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]. He replaced [[Rohit Sharma]] and was presented with his Test cap by [[MS Dhoni]]. He managed to score only 3 and 1 on his debut. In the next test at [[Sydney Cricket Ground|Sydney]] where he opened the innings for the first time, and made his maiden international century, scoring 110 runs.
Rahul made his Test debut in the 2014 [[Boxing Day Test]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]. He replaced [[Rohit Sharma]] and was presented with his Test cap by [[MS Dhoni]]. He managed to score only 3 and 1 on his debut. In the next test at [[Sydney Cricket Ground|Sydney]] where he opened the innings for the first time, and made his maiden international century, scoring 110 runs.


Line 130: Line 136:
Rahul was selected in the squad against [[English cricket team in India in 2016–17|England in the 2016-17 Test series]] but was injured while training in the nets. He was ruled out of the third test, but he made his comeback to the team in the fourth test but failed to make an impact. In the fifth and final test of the series, Rahul went on to make his fourth test ton, scoring his career-best 199 runs.
Rahul was selected in the squad against [[English cricket team in India in 2016–17|England in the 2016-17 Test series]] but was injured while training in the nets. He was ruled out of the third test, but he made his comeback to the team in the fourth test but failed to make an impact. In the fifth and final test of the series, Rahul went on to make his fourth test ton, scoring his career-best 199 runs.


===ODI and T20I debut (2016)===
Rahul was named in the squad to [[Indian cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2016|tour Zimbabwe in 2016]]. He made his [[One Day International]] (ODI) debut against [[Zimbabwe cricket team|Zimbabwe]] at [[Harare Sports Club]]. Rahul scored an unbeaten 100*(115) on debut, thus becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century on an ODI debut. He was named the man of the series.<ref name="ODI">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1007649.html |title=India tour of Zimbabwe, 1st ODI: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jun 11, 2016 |access-date=11 June 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe-v-india-2016/engine/match/1007649.html|title=India 173/1 (42.3 ov, KL Rahul 100*, AT Rayudu 62*, H Masakadza 0/19) – Match over|website=Cricinfo|access-date=11 June 2016}}</ref> He made his [[Twenty20 International]] (T20I) debut later in the same tour. Rahul got out on a [[Golden duck (cricket)|golden duck]] on his T20I debut as India lost the first T20I against Zimbabwe.<ref name="T20I">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1007655.html |title=India tour of Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jun 18, 2016 |access-date=18 June 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> Rahul was named in T20I squad for the [[Indian cricket team in the West Indies in 2016|tour of West Indies in 2016]], where he made his first T20I century, scoring an unbeaten 110 off just 51 balls and became the first player to score a T20I century while batting at number four. However, India lost the match by just one run.
Rahul was named in the squad to [[Indian cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2016|tour Zimbabwe in 2016]]. He made his [[One Day International]] (ODI) debut against [[Zimbabwe cricket team|Zimbabwe]] at [[Harare Sports Club]]. Rahul scored an unbeaten 100*(115) on debut, thus becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century on an ODI debut. He was sentenced the man of the series.<ref name="ODI">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1007649.html |title=India tour of Zimbabwe, 1st ODI: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jun 11, 2016 |access-date=11 June 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe-v-india-2016/engine/match/1007649.html|title=India 173/1 (42.3 ov, KL Rahul 100*, AT Rayudu 62*, H Masakadza 0/19) – Match over|website=Cricinfo|access-date=11 June 2016}}</ref> He made his [[Twenty20 International]] (T20I) debut later in the same tour. Rahul got out on a [[Golden duck (cricket)|golden duck]] on his T20I debut as India lost the first T20I against Zimbabwe.<ref name="T20I">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1007655.html |title=India tour of Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jun 18, 2016 |access-date=18 June 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> Rahul was named in T20I squad for the [[Indian cricket team in the West Indies in 2016|tour of West Indies in 2016]], where he made his first T20I century, scoring an unbeaten 110 off just 51 balls and became the first player to score a T20I century while batting at number four. However, India lost the match by just one run.


===Rise through the ranks===
In his 20th international innings, Rahul became the fastest batsman to have scored centuries in all three formats, surpassing the record of [[Ahmed Shehzad]], who took 76 innings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inshorts.com/news/kl-rahul-quickest-to-score-tons-in-all-3-formats-1472353196961|title=KL Rahul quickest to score tons in all 3 formats|website=Inshorts - Stay Informed|language=en|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref>  On 3 July 2018, Rahul scored his second T20 International ton against England.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284241.html|title=Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Batting records / Most runs in innings (by batting position)|work=Cricinfo|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref> He is also the first Indian batsman to be dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crictracker.com/nidahas-trophy-2018-sri-lanka-vs-india-4th-t20i-statistical-highlights/|title=Nidahas Trophy 2018, Sri Lanka vs India, 4th T20I – Statistical Highlights|work=CricTracker |date=12 March 2018|access-date=13 March 2018}}</ref>
In his 20th international innings, Rahul became the fastest batsman to have scored centuries in all three formats, surpassing the record of [[Ahmed Shehzad]], who took 76 innings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inshorts.com/news/kl-rahul-quickest-to-score-tons-in-all-3-formats-1472353196961|title=KL Rahul quickest to score tons in all 3 formats|website=Inshorts - Stay Informed|language=en|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref>  On 3 July 2018, Rahul smashed his second T20 International ton against   England.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284241.html|title=Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Batting records / Most runs in innings (by batting position)|work=Cricinfo|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref> He is also the first Indian batsman to be dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crictracker.com/nidahas-trophy-2018-sri-lanka-vs-india-4th-t20i-statistical-highlights/|title=Nidahas Trophy 2018, Sri Lanka vs India, 4th T20I – Statistical Highlights|work=CricTracker |date=12 March 2018|access-date=13 March 2018}}</ref>


===Controversy and suspension===
On 11 January 2019, [[Hardik Pandya]] and K. L. Rahul were suspended by the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] (BCCI) following controversial comments they made on the Indian talk show ''[[Koffee with Karan]]'' earlier in the month.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul suspended pending inquiry |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/hardik-pandya-and-kl-rahul-suspended-pending-inquiry-1171319 |access-date=11 January 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> They were both sent home ahead of the ODI series [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2018–19|against Australia]] and the fixtures of [[Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 2018–19|India's tour to New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/971582 |title=Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul both suspended with immediate effect |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref> On 24 January 2019, after lifting the suspension on Pandya and Rahul, the BCCI announced that Rahul would re-join the squad for India A matches.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pandya to join India squad in New Zealand, Rahul to play for India A |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/hardik-pandya-to-join-india-squad-in-new-zealand-kl-rahul-to-play-for-india-a-1172531 |access-date=24 January 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>
On 11 January 2019, [[Hardik Pandya]] and K. L. Rahul were suspended by the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] (BCCI) following controversial comments they made on the Indian talk show ''[[Koffee with Karan]]'' earlier in the month.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul suspended pending inquiry |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/hardik-pandya-and-kl-rahul-suspended-pending-inquiry-1171319 |access-date=11 January 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> They were both sent home ahead of the ODI series [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2018–19|against Australia]] and the fixtures of [[Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 2018–19|India's tour to New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/971582 |title=Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul both suspended with immediate effect |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref> On 24 January 2019, after lifting the suspension on Pandya and Rahul, the BCCI announced that Rahul would re-join the squad for India A matches.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pandya to join India squad in New Zealand, Rahul to play for India A |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/hardik-pandya-to-join-india-squad-in-new-zealand-kl-rahul-to-play-for-india-a-1172531 |access-date=24 January 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>


===2019 Cricket World Cup ===
In April 2019, he was named in [[2019 Cricket World Cup squads#India|India's squad]] for the [[2019 Cricket World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rahul and Karthik in, Pant and Rayudu out of India's World Cup squad |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/rahul-and-karthik-in-pant-and-rayudu-out-of-india-s-world-cup-squad-1181017 |access-date=15 April 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo|date=15 April 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1179330 |title=Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar in India's World Cup squad |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref> He played at number 4 in the first two games but got back to opening the innings alongside [[Rohit Sharma]] as [[Shikhar Dhawan]] was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to injury. Overall, Rahul scored 361 runs with two fifties and one hundred in the tournament and finished as India's third-highest run scorer in the tournament after [[Rohit Sharma]] and [[Virat Kohli]].<ref>{{cite web |title=India vs Sri Lanka: KL Rahul hits maiden World Cup hundred |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket-world-cup-2019/story/india-vs-sri-lanka-kl-rahul-hits-maiden-world-cup-hundred-1563658-2019-07-06 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
In April 2019, he was named in [[2019 Cricket World Cup squads#India|India's squad]] for the [[2019 Cricket World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rahul and Karthik in, Pant and Rayudu out of India's World Cup squad |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/rahul-and-karthik-in-pant-and-rayudu-out-of-india-s-world-cup-squad-1181017 |access-date=15 April 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1179330 |title=Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar in India's World Cup squad |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref> He played at number 4 in the first two games but got back to opening the innings alongside [[Rohit Sharma]] as [[Shikhar Dhawan]] was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to injury. Overall, Rahul scored 361 runs with two fifties and one hundred in the tournament and finished as India's third-highest run scorer in the tournament after [[Rohit Sharma]] and [[Virat Kohli]].<ref>{{cite web |title=India vs Sri Lanka: KL Rahul hits maiden World Cup hundred |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket-world-cup-2019/story/india-vs-sri-lanka-kl-rahul-hits-maiden-world-cup-hundred-1563658-2019-07-06 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>


===Consistency in limited over formats and dip in form in tests===
Due to lack of form in the Test format, Rahul was dropped from the Test squad for the Home tests against South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why was K.L Rahul dropped from test squad?|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/sports/2019/09/12/Why-was-K-L-Rahul-dropped-from-Test-squad.html|access-date=25 February 2022|website=The Week}}</ref> However, he remained in the limited over sides.
Due to lack of form in the Test format, Rahul was dropped from the Test squad for the Home tests against South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why was K.L Rahul dropped from test squad?|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/sports/2019/09/12/Why-was-K-L-Rahul-dropped-from-Test-squad.html|access-date=25 February 2022|website=The Week}}</ref> However, he remained in the limited over sides.


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In India's [[Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 2019–20|tour of New Zealand in 2019–20]], Rahul was declared man of the series in the five-match T20I series for scoring 224 runs at an average of 56. He was also the stand-in captain in the 5th T20I after [[Rohit Sharma]] suffered a hamstring injury during the 1st innings. In the ODI series against New Zealand, he scored 88* (64) in the first ODI and scored his fourth ton in ODIs, 112 (113) in the third ODI.<ref>{{cite news |title=India vs New Zealand: KL Rahul's century in vain, New Zealand sweep ODI series 3-0 |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-in-new-zealand/india-vs-new-zealand-kl-rahuls-century-in-vain-new-zealand-sweep-odi-series-3-0/articleshow/74080872.cms|website=The Times of India |date= 12 February 2020|language=en}}</ref>
In India's [[Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 2019–20|tour of New Zealand in 2019–20]], Rahul was declared man of the series in the five-match T20I series for scoring 224 runs at an average of 56. He was also the stand-in captain in the 5th T20I after [[Rohit Sharma]] suffered a hamstring injury during the 1st innings. In the ODI series against New Zealand, he scored 88* (64) in the first ODI and scored his fourth ton in ODIs, 112 (113) in the third ODI.<ref>{{cite news |title=India vs New Zealand: KL Rahul's century in vain, New Zealand sweep ODI series 3-0 |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-in-new-zealand/india-vs-new-zealand-kl-rahuls-century-in-vain-new-zealand-sweep-odi-series-3-0/articleshow/74080872.cms|website=The Times of India |date= 12 February 2020|language=en}}</ref>


===Australia Tour and home matches against England===
In October 2020, Rahul was named as [[India national cricket team|India]]'s [[Vice-captain (cricket)|vice captain]] for the ODI and T20I series [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2020-21|against Australia]]. Rahul had a moderate ODI and T20I series against Australia. He made 77 against Australia in the second ODI and 51 in the first T20I. India lost the ODI series 2–1 but won the T20I series by the same margin.
In October 2020, Rahul was named as [[India national cricket team|India]]'s [[Vice-captain (cricket)|vice captain]] for the ODI and T20I series [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2020-21|against Australia]]. Rahul had a moderate ODI and T20I series against Australia. He made 77 against Australia in the second ODI and 51 in the first T20I. India lost the ODI series 2–1 but won the T20I series by the same margin.


Rahul was included in the test squad for the [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2020-21#Test series|Border-Gavaskar Trophy]] but was not picked in the playing XI for the first two Tests. He injured himself during practice and was ruled out of the remaining part of the tour.
Rahul was included in the test squad for the [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2020-21#Test series|Border-Gavaskar Trophy]] but was not picked in the playing XI for the first two Tests. He injured himself during practice and was ruled out of the remaining part of the tour.


As a result, he also missed the [[English cricket team in India in 2020-21|home Test series against England]] in February 2021. He returned to the national side for the T20I and ODI series against England. There was a dip in his form in the T20I series. He returned to form in the ODI series scoring a match-winning 62*and was involved in a 100-run partnership with debutant Krunal Pandya who scored a fifty. He continued his form by scoring 108 runs in the second ODI and was involved in another 100-run partnership with Rishabh Pant.<ref>{{Cite news|title=KL Rahul reveals significance of his unique century celebration|url=https://crickettimes.com/2021/03/ind-vs-eng-kl-rahul-reveals-significance-of-his-unique-century-celebration/|website=CricketTimes.com|language=en-US|access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref>
As a result, he also missed the [[English cricket team in India in 2020-21|home Test series against England]] in February 2021. He returned to the national side for the T20I and ODI series against England. There was a dip in his form in the T20I series. He returned to form in the ODI series scoring a match-winning 62* and was involved in a 100-run partnership with debutant Krunal Pandya who scored a fifty. He continued his form by scoring 108 runs in the second ODI and was involved in another 100-run partnership with Rishabh Pant.<ref>{{Cite news|title=KL Rahul reveals significance of his unique century celebration|url=https://crickettimes.com/2021/03/ind-vs-eng-kl-rahul-reveals-significance-of-his-unique-century-celebration/|website=CricketTimes.com|language=en-US|access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref>


===Comeback in Test Format===
Rahul was named to India's test squad for their [[Indian cricket team in England in 2021|tour of England]] in 2021. As [[Shubman Gill]] and [[Mayank Agarwal]] were injured, Rahul opened alongside teammate [[Rohit Sharma]].In the first test at Trent Bridge, Rahul scored 84 and 26. He scored 129 (250) at Lords and was awarded the man of the match in the second test. Rahul displayed excellent technical skills for batting in England, including playing the ball late and leaving the ball well. Rahul scored 315 runs in eight innings of four matches played and was the second-highest run scorer for India in the tour behind Rohit Sharma.<ref>{{Cite news|title=India's Tour of England: KL Rahul breaks records at Lord's|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/magazine/statsman-kl-rahul-breaks-records-at-lords-rohit-sharma-test-new-marks-milestones-cricket-stats/article36219228.ece|website=Sportstar the Hindu.com|language=en|access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref>
Rahul was named to India's test squad for their [[Indian cricket team in England in 2021|tour of England]] in 2021. As [[Shubman Gill]] and [[Mayank Agarwal]] were injured, Rahul opened alongside teammate [[Rohit Sharma]].In the first test at Trent Bridge, Rahul scored 84 and 26. He scored 129 (250) at Lords and was awarded the man of the match in the second test. Rahul displayed excellent technical skills for batting in England, including playing the ball late and leaving the ball well. Rahul scored 315 runs in eight innings of four matches played and was the second-highest run scorer for India in the tour behind Rohit Sharma.<ref>{{Cite news|title=India's Tour of England: KL Rahul breaks records at Lord's|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/magazine/statsman-kl-rahul-breaks-records-at-lords-rohit-sharma-test-new-marks-milestones-cricket-stats/article36219228.ece|website=Sportstar the Hindu.com|language=en|access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref>


===Inconsistency and vice-captaincy (2021)===
===Vice-captaincy (2021-present)===


====T20I World cup 2021====
In September 2021, Rahul was named to India's squad for the [[2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=India's T20 World Cup squad: R Ashwin picked, MS Dhoni named mentor |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/india-s-2021-t20-world-cup-squad-r-ashwin-picked-ms-dhoni-named-mentor-1276821 |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=ESPN Cricinfo|date=8 September 2021 }}</ref> He was the highest run scorer for India in the tournament, scoring 194 runs including three consecutive fifties. He also scored the tournament's joint fastest fifty in just 18 balls against [[Scotland cricket team|Scotland]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 November 2021|title=T20 World Cup 2021: Shoaib Malik smashes fastest 50 of tournament, Pakistan book Australia clash in SF|url=https://zeenews.india.com/cricket/t20-world-cup-2021-shoaib-malik-smashes-fastest-50-of-tournament-pakistan-book-australia-clash-in-sf-2408657.html|access-date=12 November 2021|website=Zee News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=5 November 2021 |title=KL Rahul hits second fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 World Cups in Dubai blitz against Scotland|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/t20-world-cup-2021/story/kl-rahul-hits-2nd-fastest-fifty-by-an-indian-in-t20-world-cups-in-dubai-blitz-against-scotland-1873596-2021-11-05|access-date=12 November 2021|magazine=India Today|language=en}}</ref>
In September 2021, Rahul was named to India's squad for the [[2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=India's T20 World Cup squad: R Ashwin picked, MS Dhoni named mentor |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/india-s-2021-t20-world-cup-squad-r-ashwin-picked-ms-dhoni-named-mentor-1276821 |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> He was the highest run scorer for India in the tournament, scoring 194 runs including three consecutive fifties. He also scored the tournament's joint fastest fifty in just 18 balls against [[Scotland cricket team|Scotland]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 November 2021|title=T20 World Cup 2021: Shoaib Malik smashes fastest 50 of tournament, Pakistan book Australia clash in SF|url=https://zeenews.india.com/cricket/t20-world-cup-2021-shoaib-malik-smashes-fastest-50-of-tournament-pakistan-book-australia-clash-in-sf-2408657.html|access-date=12 November 2021|website=Zee News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=5 November 2021 |title=KL Rahul hits second fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 World Cups in Dubai blitz against Scotland|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/t20-world-cup-2021/story/kl-rahul-hits-2nd-fastest-fifty-by-an-indian-in-t20-world-cups-in-dubai-blitz-against-scotland-1873596-2021-11-05|access-date=12 November 2021|magazine=India Today|language=en}}</ref>
After Virat Kohli stepped down as Indian T20i captain, Rahul was appointed the Vice-captain of [[Indian Cricket Team]] in T20i as former Vice-captain Rohit Sharma was appointed the new Captain of T20i format. Later, Rahul was appointed ODI vice-captain as well due to the change of captaincy in the white ball format of the Indian team.
After Virat Kohli stepped down as Indian T20i captain, Rahul was appointed the Vice-captain of [[Indian Cricket Team]] in T20i as former Vice-captain Rohit Sharma was appointed the new Captain of T20i format. Later, Rahul was appointed ODI vice-captain as well due to the change of captaincy in the white ball format of the Indian team.


In December 2021, Rahul was named as India's test vice-captain for the [[Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2021-22|away series against South Africa]] after India's regular vice-captain [[Rohit Sharma]] was ruled out of the series. Rahul was also named as the ODI captain for the [[Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2021-22#ODI series|One Day series]] of the same tour as India's regular ODI captain [[Rohit Sharma]] was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury. In the first test match against South Africa in December 2021, he scored 123 in India's first innings and 23 in India's second innings. For this performance, he was awarded the Man of the Match award.
In December 2021, Rahul was named as India's test vice-captain for the [[Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2021-22|away series against South Africa]] after India's regular vice-captain [[Rohit Sharma]] was ruled out of the series. Rahul was also named as the ODI captain for the [[Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2021-22#ODI series|One Day series]] of the same tour as India's regular ODI captain [[Rohit Sharma]] was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury. In the first test match against South Africa in December 2021, he scored 123 in India's first innings and 23 in India's second innings. For this performance, he was awarded the Man of the Match award.


====2022 – present====
In the [[Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2021–22|second test against South Africa]] in January 2022, Rahul [[List of India national cricket captains|captained India]] for the first time in test cricket and became the 34th Test captain of India. He scored a half-century on his captaincy debut. Despite his best efforts, Rahul couldn't lead the team to victory, and India lost the second Test by seven wickets. In the first ODI against South Africa, he made his debut in ODI Captaincy and became the 26th ODI captain of India. However India lost the series 3–0 to South Africa.
In the [[Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2021–22|second test against South Africa]] in January 2022, Rahul [[List of India national cricket captains|captained India]] for the first time in test cricket and became the 34th Test captain of India. He scored a half-century on his captaincy debut. Despite his best efforts, Rahul couldn't lead the team to victory, and India lost the second Test by seven wickets. In the first ODI against South Africa, he made his debut in ODI Captaincy and became the 26th ODI captain of India. However India lost the series 3–0 to South Africa.


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Rahul was the stand-in captain for the team during the last match played by team India in the [[2022 Asia Cup]] against [[Afghanistan national cricket team|Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Is Rohit Sharma Not Leading India vs Afghanistan? Stand-In Skipper KL Rahul Answers {{!}} Cricket News |url=https://sports.ndtv.com/asia-cup-2022/why-is-rohit-sharma-not-leading-india-vs-afghanistan-stand-in-skipper-kl-rahul-answers-3327760 |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=NDTVSports.com |language=en}}</ref>
Rahul was the stand-in captain for the team during the last match played by team India in the [[2022 Asia Cup]] against [[Afghanistan national cricket team|Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Is Rohit Sharma Not Leading India vs Afghanistan? Stand-In Skipper KL Rahul Answers {{!}} Cricket News |url=https://sports.ndtv.com/asia-cup-2022/why-is-rohit-sharma-not-leading-india-vs-afghanistan-stand-in-skipper-kl-rahul-answers-3327760 |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=NDTVSports.com |language=en}}</ref>


Since his last 100 against South Africa in 2021, Rahul failed to score big runs due to this in February 2023 BCCI sacked him from Test vice-captaincy, many former cricketers and fans questioned his spot in the team and heavily criticized.<ref>{{Cite web |title= KL Rahul saga: After Venkatesh Prasad, another ex-India bowler criticizes former vice-captain for poor form|date=22 February 2023 |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/kl-rahul-saga-after-venkatesh-prasad-another-ex-india-bowler-criticizes-former-vice-captain-for-poor-form-article-98151818 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/amp/buzz/kl-rahul-brutally-trolled-for-his-selection-in-indian-team-in-parody-clip-7147651.html|title=KL Rahul Brutally Trolled For His Selection In Indian Team In Parody Clip|date=23 February 2023|publisher=News18|url-status=live}}</ref>
Due to poor form, in February 2023 he was removed from the Test vice-captaincy, with his spot in the team questioned.<ref>{{Cite web |title= KL Rahul saga: After Venkatesh Prasad, another ex-India bowler criticizes former vice-captain for poor form|date=22 February 2023 |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/kl-rahul-saga-after-venkatesh-prasad-another-ex-india-bowler-criticizes-former-vice-captain-for-poor-form-article-98151818 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/amp/buzz/kl-rahul-brutally-trolled-for-his-selection-in-indian-team-in-parody-clip-7147651.html|title=KL Rahul Brutally Trolled For His Selection In Indian Team In Parody Clip|date=23 February 2023|publisher=News18}}</ref>
 
Rahul made his return to cricket in Asia Cup 2023 against [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]]. Rahul scored an unbeaten century on his return, scoring 111 off 106 balls. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-11 |title=IND vs PAK, Asia Cup: Scorecard |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/asia-cup-2023-1388374/india-vs-pakistan-9th-match-super-four-1388406/full-scorecard |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=Filmy Celeb |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
Following a successful Asia Cup, Rahul was named in the squad for [[2023 Cricket World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=bcci.tv - WORLD CUP 2023 squad announced |url=https://www.bcci.tv/articles/2023/news/55556037/india-s-squad-for-icc-men-s-cricket-world-cup-2023-announced}}</ref> Ahead of the World Cup, Rahul was named as the captain for first two ODIs for the series against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]. <ref>https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/india-announce-squad-for-odi-series-vs-australia/</ref>
 
Rahul started his World Cup 2023 campaign scoring an unbeaten 97 against Australia in a tricky chase after India lost 3 wickets at the score of 2.<ref>https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2023-24-1367856/india-vs-australia-5th-match-1384396/full-scorecard</ref>


==Indian Premier League==
==Indian Premier League==


===Beginning of IPL career===
===Debut and early seasons (2013-2017)===
Rahul made his [[Indian Premier League]] (IPL) debut for [[Royal Challengers Bangalore]] (RCB) as a wicket-keeper batsman during the [[2013 IPL|2013 competition]]. Ahead of the [[2014 IPL]], he was bought by the [[Sunrisers Hyderabad]] for [[Indian rupee|INR]] 1 [[crore]], before returning to RCB ahead of the [[2016 IPL]] season.
Rahul made his [[Indian Premier League]] (IPL) debut for [[Royal Challengers Bangalore]] (RCB) as a wicket-keeper batsman during the [[2013 IPL|2013 competition]]<nowiki/>. Ahead of the [[2014 IPL]], he was bought by the [[Sunrisers Hyderabad]] for [[Indian rupee|INR]] 1 crore. Rahul returned to RCB ahead of the [[2016 IPL]] season.


In the 2016 IPL season with [[Royal Challengers Bangalore]], Rahul finished the season as the 11th-highest run-scorer and RCB's third, with 397 runs from 14 matches. For his performances in the 2016 IPL season, he was named as wicketkeeper in the Cricinfo and Cricbuzz IPL XI.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2016/content/story/1021857.html|title=Morris and Mustafizur, Krunal and Chahal in IPL XI|date=30 May 2016|website=Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/80264/indian-premier-league-2016-cricbuzzs-team-of-the-tournament|title = Indian Premier League 2016: Cricbuzz's Team of the Tournament}}</ref>  
In the 2016 IPL season with [[Royal Challengers Bangalore]], Rahul finished the season as the 11th-highest run-scorer and RCB's third, with 397 runs from 14 matches. For his performances in the 2016 IPL season, he was named as wicketkeeper in the ''[[CricInfo]]'' and ''[[Cricbuzz]]'' IPL XI.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2016/content/story/1021857.html|title=Morris and Mustafizur, Krunal and Chahal in IPL XI|date=30 May 2016|website=Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/80264/indian-premier-league-2016-cricbuzzs-team-of-the-tournament|title = Indian Premier League 2016: Cricbuzz's Team of the Tournament| date=30 May 2016 }}</ref> Rahul missed the [[2017 Indian Premier League|2017 season]] due to a shoulder injury.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 March 2017 |title=KL Rahul to miss IPL 2017 due to shoulder injury: Report |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/ipl-2017/kl-rahul-to-miss-ipl-2017-due-to-shoulder-injury-report/story-gq0WspIHLeZBcTsLR5wRdO.html |access-date=4 April 2022 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
Rahul missed the [[2017 Indian Premier League|2017 season]] due to a shoulder injury.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 March 2017 |title=KL Rahul to miss IPL 2017 due to shoulder injury: Report |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/ipl-2017/kl-rahul-to-miss-ipl-2017-due-to-shoulder-injury-report/story-gq0WspIHLeZBcTsLR5wRdO.html |access-date=4 April 2022 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>


===2018 season===
===Stint with Punjab Kings (2018 - 2021)===
In the 2018 IPL Auction, he was bought by [[Kings XI Punjab]] (now [[Punjab Kings]]) for INR 11 crore, the joint-third highest price. In the team's first match of the [[2018 IPL|season]], he scored the fastest 50 in IPL history, taking 14 balls to reach the milestone and breaking the record of [[Sunil Narine]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/ipl/article/rcb-vs-kkr-match-after-lokesh-rahul-fastest-ipl-fifty-sunil-narine-slams-17-ball-50-in-ipl-2018-match-3/215273|title=RCB vs KKR match: After Lokesh Rahul's fastest IPL fifty, Sunil Narine slams 17-ball 50 in IPL 2018, Match 3|access-date=9 April 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8048/report/1136562|title=Rahul floors Daredevils with fastest ever IPL fifty|website=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref>
In the 2018 IPL Auction, he was bought by [[Kings XI Punjab]] (now [[Punjab Kings]]) for INR 11 crore, the joint-third highest price. In the team's first match of the [[2018 IPL|season]], he scored the fastest 50 in IPL history, taking 14 balls to reach the milestone and breaking the record of [[Sunil Narine]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/ipl/article/rcb-vs-kkr-match-after-lokesh-rahul-fastest-ipl-fifty-sunil-narine-slams-17-ball-50-in-ipl-2018-match-3/215273|title=RCB vs KKR match: After Lokesh Rahul's fastest IPL fifty, Sunil Narine slams 17-ball 50 in IPL 2018, Match 3|access-date=9 April 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8048/report/1136562|title=Rahul floors Daredevils with fastest ever IPL fifty|website=ESPNcricinfo|date=8 April 2018 |access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref>


KL in total scored 659 runs in the season at a strike rate of 158.41 and an average of 54.91. He finished the season as third highest run scorer in the 2018 IPL Season. For his performances in the 2018 IPL season, he was named in the Cricinfo and Cricbuzz IPL XI.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 May 2018 |title=Vote for your IPL 2018 team of the tournament |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/vote-for-your-ipl-2018-team-of-the-tournament-1148237 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/102276/cb-xi-team-of-ipl-2018|title = CB XI - team of IPL 2018}}</ref>
KL in total scored 659 runs in the season at a strike rate of 158.41 and an average of 54.91. He finished the season as third highest run scorer, and he was named in the ''Cricinfo'' and ''Cricbuzz'' IPL XI.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 May 2018 |title=Vote for your IPL 2018 team of the tournament |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/vote-for-your-ipl-2018-team-of-the-tournament-1148237 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/102276/cb-xi-team-of-ipl-2018|title = CB XI - team of IPL 2018| date=28 May 2018 }}</ref>


===2019 season===
Kings XI Punjab retained Rahul for the [[2019 Indian Premier League|2019 season.]] Rahul was named as vice-captain for the season. He scored his maiden IPL century, scoring 100 [[not out]] off 64 balls against [[Mumbai Indians]]. In total KL scored 593 runs in the season with average of 53.90 and strike rate of 135.38.
After making scores of 90+ three times during 2018, he reached his maiden IPL century in 2019, scoring 100 [[not out]] from 64 against [[Mumbai Indians]] (MI).In total KL scored 593 runs in the season with average of 53.90 and strike rate of 135.38. This was a sudden drop in strike rate which showed his commitment to believing that strike rate is overrated. He finished the season as second highest run scorer in the season after [[David Warner (cricketer)|David Warner]](692 runs). For his performances in the 2019 IPL season, he was named in the ''Cricinfo IPL XI''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 May 2019 |title=Dhoni, Russell, Pandya in ESPNcricinfo's power-packed IPL XI |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/dhoni-russell-pandya-in-espncricinfo-s-power-packed-ipl-xi-1184320 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>


===Captaining Kings XI Punjab and 2020 season===
On 19 December 2019, Rahul was announced as captain of the [[Kings XI Punjab|Punjab]] for the [[2020 Indian Premier League|2020 season]], after former captain [[Ravichandran Ashwin]] was traded to [[Delhi Capitals]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/kl-rahul-appointed-kxip-captain-for-ipl-2020/articleshow/72889119.cms|title=KL Rahul appointed KXIP captain for IPL 2020|website=The Times of India|date=19 December 2019 |access-date=4 February 2020}}</ref>
On 19 December 2019, Rahul was announced as captain of the [[Kings XI Punjab|Punjab]] for the [[2020 Indian Premier League|2020 season]], after former captain [[Ravichandran Ashwin]] was traded to [[Delhi Capitals]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/kl-rahul-appointed-kxip-captain-for-ipl-2020/articleshow/72889119.cms|title=KL Rahul appointed KXIP captain for IPL 2020|website=The Times of India|date=19 December 2019 |access-date=4 February 2020}}</ref>


In the match against RCB on 24 September 2020, he scored an unbeaten 132* off just 69 balls. He was declared the man of the match for this record breaking innings. With that century, he broke the record of the most runs scored by an Indian batsman in an IPL match.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 September 2020|title=IPL 2020 Has Its First Century And KL Rahul Is Leading KXIP From The Front|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/sports/ipl-2020-has-its-first-century-and-kl-rahul-is-leading-kxip-from-the-front-523618.html|access-date=25 September 2020|website=IndiaTimes|language=en-IN}}</ref> He also broke the record of the most runs scored by a captain in an IPL match.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 September 2020|title=IPL 2020: Twitter Goes Wild As KL Rahul Scores Sensational Century Against RCB|url=https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket/ipl-2020-twitter-goes-wild-as-kl-rahul-scores-sensational-century-against-rcb/|access-date=25 September 2020|website=CricketAddictor|language=en-US}}</ref>
In the match against RCB on 24 September 2020, he scored an unbeaten 132*, then the most runs scored by an Indian batsman in an IPL match.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 September 2020|title=IPL 2020 Has Its First Century And KL Rahul Is Leading KXIP From The Front|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/sports/ipl-2020-has-its-first-century-and-kl-rahul-is-leading-kxip-from-the-front-523618.html|access-date=25 September 2020|website=IndiaTimes|language=en-IN}}</ref>
 
Under his captainship they lost 6 out of their first 7 games but made a comeback as they won next 5 consecutive games against top teams on Points table. But they failed to qualify for playoffs finishing at sixth position once again.
 
In the IPL 2020 season, he scored 670 runs in all the 14 matches he played. He scored 5 fifties and 1 hundred with the highest score of an unbeaten 132 against RCB and also had an average of 55.83.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IPLT20.com - Indian Premier League Official Website|url=https://www.iplt20.com/teams/kings-xi-punjab/squad/1125/kl-rahul|access-date=8 January 2021|website=www.iplt20.com|language=en}}</ref>


Rahul won the [[Orange Cap]] in IPL 2020 for scoring most runs in IPL 2020 (670 runs). He was also awarded as the Dream 11 Game changer of the season.<ref>{{Cite news|title=IPL 2020: Kings XI Punjab's KL Rahul wins Orange Cap in UAE|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ipl-2020-kings-xi-punjab-s-kl-rahul-wins-orange-cap-in-uae/story-IczbFZoD78soTgsqM4asyJ.html|access-date=8 January 2021|work=hindustantimes.com|language=en}}</ref>
Rahul won the [[Orange Cap]] in IPL 2020 for scoring most runs in IPL 2020 (670 runs). He was also awarded as the Dream 11 Game changer of the season.<ref>{{Cite news|title=IPL 2020: Kings XI Punjab's KL Rahul wins Orange Cap in UAE|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ipl-2020-kings-xi-punjab-s-kl-rahul-wins-orange-cap-in-uae/story-IczbFZoD78soTgsqM4asyJ.html|access-date=8 January 2021|work=hindustantimes.com|language=en}}</ref>


===IPL 2021 season===
KL Rahul was retained as the captain by the [[Punjab Kings]] ahead of the [[2021 Indian Premier League|2021 IPL]] season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2021|url=https://www.kxip.in/players|access-date=10 February 2021}}</ref> He scored 626 runs in [[2021 Indian Premier League|IPL 2021]], finishing as the team's highest scorer in the season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IPLT20.com|publisher=Indian Premier League Official Website|url=https://www.iplt20.com/teams/punjab-kings/squad/1125/kl-rahul|access-date=23 October 2021|language=en}}</ref>
KL Rahul was retained as the captain by the [[Punjab Kings]] ahead of the [[2021 Indian Premier League|2021 IPL]] season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2021|url=https://www.kxip.in/players|url-status=live|access-date=10 February 2021}}</ref> KL scored 91(50) in their first fixture against [[Rajasthan Royals]] (RR). KL scored match winning 60*(52) against [[Mumbai Indians|MI]] and 91*(57) against RCB and won Man of the Match in both the games.


In the final league game of [[Punjab Kings]], KL scored unbeaten 98*(42) against [[Chennai Super Kings]] (CSK), helping the team get the target in 13 overs to give them a slight chance to qualify, however, the team ended up at sixth position. He scored 626 runs in [[2021 Indian Premier League|IPL 2021]], finishing as the team's highest scorer in the season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IPLT20.com|publisher=Indian Premier League Official Website|url=https://www.iplt20.com/teams/punjab-kings/squad/1125/kl-rahul|access-date=23 October 2021|language=en}}</ref>
=== Lucknow Super Giants (2022 - Present)===
Prior to the [[2022 Indian Premier League|2022]], Rahul parted ways with the [[Punjab Kings]] and was drafted by [[Lucknow Super Giants]] (LSG) as their captain for INR 17 crore, making him the joint highest paid cricketer in the IPL alongside [[Virat Kohli]].  


=== Lucknow Super Giants 2022 season===
On 16 April 2022, Rahul scored his first century for Lucknow (103* off 60) against Mumbai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/indian-premier-league-2022-1298423/mumbai-indians-vs-lucknow-super-giants-26th-match-1304072/match-report|title=Rahul 103*, Avesh three-for headline dominant Super Giants' fourth win|work=ESPN Cricinfo|date=16 April 2022 |access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> He followed this up with another unbeaten century(103* off 62) against the same opposition eight days later.  
Prior to the [[2022 Indian Premier League|2022]], Rahul parted ways with the [[Punjab Kings]] and was drafted by [[Lucknow Super Giants]] (LSG) as their captain for INR 17Cr making him the joint highest paid cricketer in the IPL alongside [[Virat Kohli]]. On 16 April 2022, Rahul scored his first century for Lucknow (103* off 60) against the Mumbai and became the first and only player to score a century in one's 100th IPL match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/indian-premier-league-2022-1298423/mumbai-indians-vs-lucknow-super-giants-26th-match-1304072/match-report|title=Rahul 103*, Avesh three-for headline dominant Super Giants' fourth win|work=ESPN Cricinfo|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> He followed this up with another unbeaten century(103* off 62) against the same opposition eight days later and is retired hurt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/smart-stats-a-tale-of-two-kl-rahul-hundreds-1312281|title=Smart Stats - A tale of two KL Rahul hundreds|work=ESPN Cricinfo|access-date=25 April 2022}}</ref>


== Playing style ==
Rahul led his team to play-offs in the debut season for LSG but ended up losing to [[Royal Challengers Bangalore|Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)]] in the Eliminator. Rahul was the highest scorer for his team, scoring 616 runs with an average of 51.33 scoring 2 centuries in the season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=iplt20.com |url=https://www.iplt20.com/teams/lucknow-super-giants/squad-details/1125}}</ref>
{{Expand section|date=February 2023}}
KL Rahul is an opening right-handed batter who occasionally keep wickets in the shorter format of the game. Rahul also plays in the middle order in the ODI format, he is also termed as the go-to wicketkeeper in the format on several occasions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KL Rahul profile, biography, stats and news by espncricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/kl-rahul-422108 |access-date=25 February 2022 |website=Espn cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/kl-rahul-willing-to-continue-as-specialist-wicket-keeper-for-india-in-odis-2320992-2023-01-13 | title=KL Rahul willing to continue as specialist wicket-keeper for India in ODIs: I like challenges }}</ref> Cricket pundits and media often criticize him for his inconsistency in run scoring.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/amp/cricket/inconsistent-class-kl-rahul/|title=The inconsistent class of KL Rahul|publisher=SportsKeeda}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsindiashow.com/kl-rahul-msds-successor/|title=The rise and rise of KL Rahul: From Mr inconsistent to MSD's successor|publisher=Sports India Show}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wisden.com/stories/time-running-out-kl-rahul-t20i-batter/|title=Is Time Running Out For KL Rahul The T20I Batter?|publisher=Wisden}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=KL Rahul's inconsistency makes room for Rohit Sharma as Test opener. | website=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/news/kl-rahuls-inconsistency-makes-room-for-rohit-sharma-as-test-opener-sourav-ganguly/amp_articleshow/70989326.cms/}}</ref>{{Efn|He is notorious for his inconsistency in run scoring from the days, when he use to play for Karnataka cricket team to nearly all his international career. Source articles-Outlook, 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/sports/icc-t20-world-cup-2022-india-vs-netherlands-preview-chance-for-india-s-top-order-to-get-some-runs-ahead-of-tough-proteas-test-news-232593|title=IND Vs NED, ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Chance For India's Top-Order To Get Runs Ahead Of Tough South African Test|date=26 October 2022|publisher=Outlook India|access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref> Times Now, Sept 2022<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/think-from-indias-point-of-view-gambhir-slams-kl-rahuls-critics-after-kohlis-122-start-openers-debate-article-94277390/|title='Think from India's point of view': Gambhir slams KL Rahul's critics after Kohli’s 122 started openers debate|date=18 September 2022|publisher=Times Now News|access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref> NDTV<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/players/1688-lokesh-rahul-playerprofile|title=KL Rahul|publisher=NDTV|access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref> First post, Dec 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/sports-news/india-vs-australia-inconsistent-kl-rahul-in-desperate-need-of-runs-to-cement-opening-spot-5633581.html/|title=India vs Australia: Inconsistent KL Rahul in desperate need of runs to cement opening spot|last=Miller|first=Pete|date=1 December 2018|publisher=First Post|access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref> Sport 360, Oct 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amp.sport360.com/article/opinion/cricket-opinion/305975/inconsistencies-continue-to-hamper-indian-batsman-kl-rahuls-progress-despite-sublime-talent|title=Inconsistencies continue to hamper Indian batsman KL Rahul’s progress despite sublime talent|last=Ashish|first=Peter|date=9 October 2018|publisher=Sport360|access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref>}} In the longer format he is known for his techniques and application that has earned him success in both home and away conditions. In T20s Rahul is known for his attacking approach in the IPL which is contrasting to his careful approach at the international level that has led to his criticism on many occasions.


In many interviews KL has mentioned that, he believes that strike rates are overrated and a player should bat according to what the situation of the match demands.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/strike-rates-are-overrated-says-kl-rahul/articleshow/98489129.cms#:~:text=Rahul%20was%20speaking%20at%20the,play%20at%20200%20strike%20rate.%E2%80%9D | title=Strike rates are overrated, says KL Rahul | newspaper=The Times of India | date=8 March 2023 }}</ref>
Rahul was retained as the captain for Lucknow Super Giants for [[2023 Indian Premier League|2023 season]]. Rahul was ruled out of the tournament mid way after sustaining an injury while fielding in a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=iplt20.com |url=https://www.iplt20.com/news/3941/kl-rahul-ruled-out-of-tata-ipl-2023-due-to-injury-karun-nair-to-replace-him-at-lucknow-super-giants#:~:text=KL%20Rahul%20ruled%20out%20of,him%20at%20Lucknow%20Super%20Giants}}</ref>


==Career summary==
==Career summary==
Line 404: Line 397:
|Lost
|Lost
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-tour-of-india-2020-21-1243364/india-vs-england-2nd-odi-1243394/full-scorecard|title=Full scorecard of India vs England 2nd ODI 2020/21|publisher=ESPN CricInfo|date=March 2021}}</ref>
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-tour-of-india-2020-21-1243364/india-vs-england-2nd-odi-1243394/full-scorecard|title=Full scorecard of India vs England 2nd ODI 2020/21|publisher=ESPN CricInfo|date=March 2021}}</ref>
|-
|6
|111*
|{{Cr|Pakistan}}
|4
|1
|104.72
|[[R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium|Colombo, Sri Lanka]]
|Away
|10-11 September 2023
|Won
|}
|}


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==External links==
==External links==
* {{cricinfo|id=422108}}
* {{cricinfo|id=422108}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052942/http://www.wisdenindia.com/player/India/Lokesh-Rahul/48900.html Lokesh Rahul] at Wisden India
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052942/http://www.wisdenindia.com/player/India/Lokesh-Rahul/48900.html Lokesh Rahul] at Wisden India
*[https://twitter.com/klrahul K L Rahul] at [https://twitter.com/ Twitter]  
*[https://twitter.com/klrahul K L Rahul] at [https://twitter.com/ Twitter]  


{{Navboxes
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{{India Squad 2018 Asia Cup}}
{{India Squad 2018 Asia Cup}}
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{{India Squad 2019 Cricket World Cup}}
{{India Squad 2023 Asia Cup}}
{{India 2023 Cricket World Cup squad}}
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{{Karnataka cricket squad}}
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{{Lucknow Super Giants squad}}
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{{Portal bar|Biography|1990s|India|Cricket|Sports}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahul, KL}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahul, KL}}

Latest revision as of 15:25, 21 October 2023


KL Rahul
KL Rahul at Femina Miss India 2018 Grand Finale (cropped).jpg
Personal information
Full nameKannanur Lokesh Rahul
Born (1992-04-18) 18 April 1992 (age 32)
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
NicknameKL
BattingRight-handed
Role Wicketkeeper-Batsman
Relations
(
m. 2023)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 284)26 December 2014 v Australia
Last Test17 February 2023 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 213)11 June 2016 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI11 October 2023 v Afghanistan
ODI shirt no.1 (formerly 2, 11)
T20I debut (cap 63)18 June 2016 v Zimbabwe
Last T20I10 November 2022 v England
T20I shirt no.1 (formerly 2, 11)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2010–presentKarnataka
2013, 2016Royal Challengers Bangalore
2014–2015Sunrisers Hyderabad
2018–2021Punjab Kings
2022–presentLucknow Super Giants
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 47 62 72 90
Runs scored 2,642 2,388 2,265 6,539
Batting average 33.44 49.75 37.75 44.18
100s/50s 7/13 6/16 2/22 17/31
Top score 199 112 110* 337
Catches/stumpings 54/– 32/2 23/1 94/–
Medal record
Men's Cricket
Representing  India
ACC Asia Cup
Winner 2018 UAE
Winner 2023 Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 24 March 2023

Kannanur Lokesh Rahul (Kannada: ಕೆ.ಎಲ್.ರಾಹುಲ್; born 18 April 1992) is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a right-handed Wicketkeeper-Batsman for Karnataka at the domestic level and is the captain for Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League. He is a former captain and vice-captain of the Indian Cricket Team.

He generally plays as an opener in Test and T20I game formats and plays in the middle order in the ODIs. Rahul is regular wicketkeeper in the shorter formats of the game at the international level as well at domestic level. Rahul was a member of the Indian team that won the 2018 and 2023 Asia cup.

He made his international debut in 2014 against Australia in the Boxing Day Test-match in Melbourne. Two years after his Test debut, Rahul made his One-Day International Debut in 2016 against Zimbabwe. Later on the same tour, he made his T20I debut.[1]

Rahul is the first and only Indian cricketer to score an ODI century on his debut. He is the fastest batsman to score an International century across all three formats, he took only 20 innings to achieve this feat.[2]

Early and personal life

Rahul was born on 18 April 1992 to K. N. Lokesh and Rajeshwari in Bangalore. His father Lokesh who hails from Kannanur, Magadi taluk, is a professor and former director at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK)[3][4] in Mangalore. His mother, Rajeshwari, is a professor at Mangalore University.[5] His father, Lokesh who was a fan of cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, wanted to name his son after Gavaskar's son, but mistook Rohan Gavaskar's name for Rahul.[6]

Rahul grew up in Mangalore, completing his high school at NITK English Medium School and pre-university at St. Aloysius College.[7] He started cricket training at the age of 10, and, two years later, started playing matches for both Bangalore United Cricket Club and his club in Mangalore.[8] At age 18, he moved to Bangalore to study at Jain University and pursue his cricket career.[9][10][11]

On 23 January 2023, Rahul married his long-time partner, Indian actress Athiya Shetty, daughter of actor Suniel Shetty, after dating for more than three years.[12]

Domestic career

Rahul made his first-class cricket debut for Karnataka in the 2010–11 season. In the same season, he represented his country at the 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, scoring 143 runs in the competition.[13] He made his debut in the Indian Premier League in 2013, for Royal Challengers Bangalore.[14] During the 2013–14 domestic season he scored 1,033 first-class runs, the second highest scorer that season.

Playing for South Zone in the final of the 2014–15 Duleep Trophy against Central Zone, Rahul scored 185 off 233 balls in the first innings and 130 off 152 in the second. He was named the player of the match and selected to the Indian Test squad for the Australian tour followed.

Returning home after the Test series, Rahul became Karnataka's first triple-centurion, scoring 337 against Uttar Pradesh.[15] He went on to score 188 in the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy final against Tamil Nadu and finished the season with an average of 93.11 in the nine matches he played.

International career

K.L. Rahul amid practice session (2019)

Debut and early career (2014-2021)

Rahul made his Test debut in the 2014 Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He replaced Rohit Sharma and was presented with his Test cap by MS Dhoni. He managed to score only 3 and 1 on his debut. In the next test at Sydney where he opened the innings for the first time, and made his maiden international century, scoring 110 runs.

He was named in the 15-man squad for the Indian tour of Bangladesh in June 2015 but withdrew due to Dengue fever. He returned to the side for the first Test of the Sri Lankan tour after Murali Vijay was ruled out due to injury, scoring his second Test century and winning the Man of the Match award. During the match, he kept wicket after Wriddhiman Saha was injured.[16]

In July 2016, Rahul was named in the squad for India tour of West Indies. In the second series test, Rahul scored 158 runs, his then-highest score in test cricket. In September 2016, he was named in the squad for the home series against New Zealand. After the first test, he was replaced by Gautam Gambhir due to an injury.

Rahul was selected in the squad against England in the 2016-17 Test series but was injured while training in the nets. He was ruled out of the third test, but he made his comeback to the team in the fourth test but failed to make an impact. In the fifth and final test of the series, Rahul went on to make his fourth test ton, scoring his career-best 199 runs.

Rahul was named in the squad to tour Zimbabwe in 2016. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club. Rahul scored an unbeaten 100*(115) on debut, thus becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century on an ODI debut. He was named the man of the series.[17][18] He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut later in the same tour. Rahul got out on a golden duck on his T20I debut as India lost the first T20I against Zimbabwe.[19] Rahul was named in T20I squad for the tour of West Indies in 2016, where he made his first T20I century, scoring an unbeaten 110 off just 51 balls and became the first player to score a T20I century while batting at number four. However, India lost the match by just one run.

In his 20th international innings, Rahul became the fastest batsman to have scored centuries in all three formats, surpassing the record of Ahmed Shehzad, who took 76 innings.[20] On 3 July 2018, Rahul scored his second T20 International ton against England.[21] He is also the first Indian batsman to be dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is.[22]

On 11 January 2019, Hardik Pandya and K. L. Rahul were suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following controversial comments they made on the Indian talk show Koffee with Karan earlier in the month.[23] They were both sent home ahead of the ODI series against Australia and the fixtures of India's tour to New Zealand.[24] On 24 January 2019, after lifting the suspension on Pandya and Rahul, the BCCI announced that Rahul would re-join the squad for India A matches.[25]

In April 2019, he was named in India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[26][27] He played at number 4 in the first two games but got back to opening the innings alongside Rohit Sharma as Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to injury. Overall, Rahul scored 361 runs with two fifties and one hundred in the tournament and finished as India's third-highest run scorer in the tournament after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.[28]

Due to lack of form in the Test format, Rahul was dropped from the Test squad for the Home tests against South Africa.[29] However, he remained in the limited over sides.

In December 2019, in the first T20I match against the West Indies, Rahul scored his 1,000th run in T20I cricket.[30] He scored 62 (40) in the first T20I against West Indies. He scored 91 (56) in the third T20I, for which he was convicted the Man of the Match. He scored his 3rd ODI century in the 2nd ODI against West Indies. In the 2-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, Rahul scored 45 in the first match and 54 in the second T20I.

In January 2020, Rahul made 80 (52) batting at number five in the second ODI against Australia and was rewarded as the man of the match.[31]

In India's tour of New Zealand in 2019–20, Rahul was declared man of the series in the five-match T20I series for scoring 224 runs at an average of 56. He was also the stand-in captain in the 5th T20I after Rohit Sharma suffered a hamstring injury during the 1st innings. In the ODI series against New Zealand, he scored 88* (64) in the first ODI and scored his fourth ton in ODIs, 112 (113) in the third ODI.[32]

In October 2020, Rahul was named as India's vice captain for the ODI and T20I series against Australia. Rahul had a moderate ODI and T20I series against Australia. He made 77 against Australia in the second ODI and 51 in the first T20I. India lost the ODI series 2–1 but won the T20I series by the same margin.

Rahul was included in the test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but was not picked in the playing XI for the first two Tests. He injured himself during practice and was ruled out of the remaining part of the tour.

As a result, he also missed the home Test series against England in February 2021. He returned to the national side for the T20I and ODI series against England. There was a dip in his form in the T20I series. He returned to form in the ODI series scoring a match-winning 62* and was involved in a 100-run partnership with debutant Krunal Pandya who scored a fifty. He continued his form by scoring 108 runs in the second ODI and was involved in another 100-run partnership with Rishabh Pant.[33]

Rahul was named to India's test squad for their tour of England in 2021. As Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal were injured, Rahul opened alongside teammate Rohit Sharma.In the first test at Trent Bridge, Rahul scored 84 and 26. He scored 129 (250) at Lords and was awarded the man of the match in the second test. Rahul displayed excellent technical skills for batting in England, including playing the ball late and leaving the ball well. Rahul scored 315 runs in eight innings of four matches played and was the second-highest run scorer for India in the tour behind Rohit Sharma.[34]

Vice-captaincy (2021-present)

In September 2021, Rahul was named to India's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[35] He was the highest run scorer for India in the tournament, scoring 194 runs including three consecutive fifties. He also scored the tournament's joint fastest fifty in just 18 balls against Scotland.[36][37] After Virat Kohli stepped down as Indian T20i captain, Rahul was appointed the Vice-captain of Indian Cricket Team in T20i as former Vice-captain Rohit Sharma was appointed the new Captain of T20i format. Later, Rahul was appointed ODI vice-captain as well due to the change of captaincy in the white ball format of the Indian team.

In December 2021, Rahul was named as India's test vice-captain for the away series against South Africa after India's regular vice-captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the series. Rahul was also named as the ODI captain for the One Day series of the same tour as India's regular ODI captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury. In the first test match against South Africa in December 2021, he scored 123 in India's first innings and 23 in India's second innings. For this performance, he was awarded the Man of the Match award.

In the second test against South Africa in January 2022, Rahul captained India for the first time in test cricket and became the 34th Test captain of India. He scored a half-century on his captaincy debut. Despite his best efforts, Rahul couldn't lead the team to victory, and India lost the second Test by seven wickets. In the first ODI against South Africa, he made his debut in ODI Captaincy and became the 26th ODI captain of India. However India lost the series 3–0 to South Africa.

KL Rahul being interviewed during the 2022 T20 World Cup

In February 2022, During the second ODI of India against the West Indies, Rahul scored 49 (48) and completed 6000 runs in International cricket across all formats. In the same ODI, Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain and was ruled out of the next ODI as well as the upcoming T20Is series against the West Indies.[38] Rahul was named captain for the South African tour of India in June, but was later ruled out of the series due to a groin injury.[39] After a successful sports hernia surgery, Rahul came back to the team and was named captain for the India Tour of Zimbabwe in August.[40][41]

Rahul was the stand-in captain for the team during the last match played by team India in the 2022 Asia Cup against Afghanistan.[42]

Due to poor form, in February 2023 he was removed from the Test vice-captaincy, with his spot in the team questioned.[43][44]

Rahul made his return to cricket in Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan. Rahul scored an unbeaten century on his return, scoring 111 off 106 balls. [45]

Following a successful Asia Cup, Rahul was named in the squad for 2023 Cricket World Cup.[46] Ahead of the World Cup, Rahul was named as the captain for first two ODIs for the series against Australia. [47]

Rahul started his World Cup 2023 campaign scoring an unbeaten 97 against Australia in a tricky chase after India lost 3 wickets at the score of 2.[48]

Indian Premier League

Debut and early seasons (2013-2017)

Rahul made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as a wicket-keeper batsman during the 2013 competition. Ahead of the 2014 IPL, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 1 crore. Rahul returned to RCB ahead of the 2016 IPL season.

In the 2016 IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rahul finished the season as the 11th-highest run-scorer and RCB's third, with 397 runs from 14 matches. For his performances in the 2016 IPL season, he was named as wicketkeeper in the CricInfo and Cricbuzz IPL XI.[49][50] Rahul missed the 2017 season due to a shoulder injury.[51]

Stint with Punjab Kings (2018 - 2021)

In the 2018 IPL Auction, he was bought by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) for INR 11 crore, the joint-third highest price. In the team's first match of the season, he scored the fastest 50 in IPL history, taking 14 balls to reach the milestone and breaking the record of Sunil Narine.[52][53]

KL in total scored 659 runs in the season at a strike rate of 158.41 and an average of 54.91. He finished the season as third highest run scorer, and he was named in the Cricinfo and Cricbuzz IPL XI.[54][55]

Kings XI Punjab retained Rahul for the 2019 season. Rahul was named as vice-captain for the season. He scored his maiden IPL century, scoring 100 not out off 64 balls against Mumbai Indians. In total KL scored 593 runs in the season with average of 53.90 and strike rate of 135.38.

On 19 December 2019, Rahul was announced as captain of the Punjab for the 2020 season, after former captain Ravichandran Ashwin was traded to Delhi Capitals.[56]

In the match against RCB on 24 September 2020, he scored an unbeaten 132*, then the most runs scored by an Indian batsman in an IPL match.[57]

Rahul won the Orange Cap in IPL 2020 for scoring most runs in IPL 2020 (670 runs). He was also awarded as the Dream 11 Game changer of the season.[58]

KL Rahul was retained as the captain by the Punjab Kings ahead of the 2021 IPL season.[59] He scored 626 runs in IPL 2021, finishing as the team's highest scorer in the season.[60]

Lucknow Super Giants (2022 - Present)

Prior to the 2022, Rahul parted ways with the Punjab Kings and was drafted by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as their captain for INR 17 crore, making him the joint highest paid cricketer in the IPL alongside Virat Kohli.

On 16 April 2022, Rahul scored his first century for Lucknow (103* off 60) against Mumbai.[61] He followed this up with another unbeaten century(103* off 62) against the same opposition eight days later.

Rahul led his team to play-offs in the debut season for LSG but ended up losing to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator. Rahul was the highest scorer for his team, scoring 616 runs with an average of 51.33 scoring 2 centuries in the season.[62]

Rahul was retained as the captain for Lucknow Super Giants for 2023 season. Rahul was ruled out of the tournament mid way after sustaining an injury while fielding in a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.[63]

Career summary

As of March 2023 Rahul has made 14 international centuries - 7 in Test cricket, 5 in One-Day Internationals and 2 in T20Is. Rahul is the only Indian player to score a century on his ODI debut. He is also the first batter to score a century in T20Is while playing at 4th or lower batting position.

List of international centuries by KL Rahul

Key
* ~ Not Out
dagger ~ Man of the Match
Test Centuries by KL Rahul[64]
No. Runs Against Pos. Inn. Test Venue H/A Date Result Ref.
1 110  Australia 2 2 4/4 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Away 6 January 2015 Drawn [65]
2 108 dagger  Sri Lanka 2 1 2/3 P Sara Oval, Colombo Away 20 August 2015 Won [66]
3 158  West Indies 1 2 2/2 Sabina Park, Kingston Away 30 July 2016 Drawn [67]
4 199  England 1 2 5/5 M.A Chidambaram, Chennai Home 16 December 2016 Won [68]
5 149  England 1 4 5/5 The Oval, London Away 7 September 2018 Lost [69]
6 129 dagger  England 2 1 2/5 Lord's, London Away 12 August 2021 Won [70]
7 123 dagger  South Africa 1 1 1/3 SuperSport Park, Centurion Away 26 December 2021 Won [71]
ODI Centuries by KL Rahul[72]
No Runs Against Pos. Inn. S/R Venue H/A/N Date Result Ref.
1 100* dagger  Zimbabwe 1 2 86.95 Harare Sports Club, Harare Away 11 June 2016 Won [73]
2 111  Sri Lanka 1 2 94.06 Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds Neutral 6 July 2019 Won [74]
3 102  West Indies 2 1 98.07 Dr. Y.S.R.R. Stadium, Vishakhapatnam Home 18 December 2019 Won [75]
4 112  New Zealand 5 1 99.11 Bay Oval, Mt. Maunganui Away 11 February 2020 Lost [76]
5 108  England 4 1 94.73 MCA Stadium, Pune Home 26 March 2021 Lost [77]
6 111*  Pakistan 4 1 104.72 Colombo, Sri Lanka Away 10-11 September 2023 Won
T20I Centuries by KL Rahul[78]
No. Runs Against Pos. Inn. S/R Venue H/A/N Date Result Ref.
1 110*  West Indies 4 2 215.68 Central Broward Park, Lauderhill Away 27 August 2016 Lost [79]
2 101*  England 3 2 187.03 Old Trafford, Manchester Away 3 July 2018 Won [80]

See also

Footnotes

References

  1. ↑ "KL Rahul". ESPNCricinfo.
  2. ↑ "KL Rahul". Sportskeeda.
  3. ↑ "CV of Dr. K. N. Lokesh" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Former Directors | NITK Surathkal". www.nitk.ac.in. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "KL Rahul Feels 2019 Suspension Changed His Thought Process, Helps Him to Become Better 'Team Player' pandemic". India.com. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Jaishankar, Vedam (1 August 2016). "India vs West Indies: KL Rahul's story would probably do a movie scriptwriter proud". Firstpost. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Achal, Ashwin (24 May 2019). "K.L. Rahul: A classy talent with an aggressive streak". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Achal, Ashwin (23 May 2019). "World Cup: Mangalore, Bangalore, England - the Rahul journey!". Sportstar. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Boxing Day Test: Who is KL Rahul?". www.oneindia.com. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Rahul's dad, a Gavaskar fan, happy son is selected for Aus tour as opener". Rediff. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Steady climber Lokesh Rahul reaches the top with trip Down Under". The Indian Express. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  12. ↑ "KL Rahul, Athiya Shetty get married". The Times of India. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Records / ICC Under-19 World Cup, 2009/10 - India Under-19s (Young Cricketers) / Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "Lokesh Rahul Profile". Cricbuzz.
  15. ↑ "Full scorecard Karnataka vs Uttar Pradesh Group A 2014/15". ESPN CricInfo. 2015.
  16. ↑ "Rahul 108 shores up India on fluctuating day". Cricinfo. 20 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "India tour of Zimbabwe, 1st ODI: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jun 11, 2016". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "India 173/1 (42.3 ov, KL Rahul 100*, AT Rayudu 62*, H Masakadza 0/19) – Match over". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "India tour of Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jun 18, 2016". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "KL Rahul quickest to score tons in all 3 formats". Inshorts - Stay Informed. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  21. ↑ "Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Batting records / Most runs in innings (by batting position)". Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  22. ↑ "Nidahas Trophy 2018, Sri Lanka vs India, 4th T20I – Statistical Highlights". CricTracker. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  23. ↑ "Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul suspended pending inquiry". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  24. ↑ "Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul both suspended with immediate effect". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  25. ↑ "Pandya to join India squad in New Zealand, Rahul to play for India A". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  26. ↑ "Rahul and Karthik in, Pant and Rayudu out of India's World Cup squad". ESPN Cricinfo. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  27. ↑ "Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar in India's World Cup squad". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "India vs Sri Lanka: KL Rahul hits maiden World Cup hundred". India Today.
  29. ↑ "Why was K.L Rahul dropped from test squad?". The Week. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  30. ↑ "Virat Kohli's 94* leads India to stunning victory". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  31. ↑ "2nd ODI: Virat Kohli heaps praise on KL Rahul after 52-ball 80 in Rajkot". India TV news. 17 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "India vs New Zealand: KL Rahul's century in vain, New Zealand sweep ODI series 3-0". The Times of India. 12 February 2020.
  33. ↑ "KL Rahul reveals significance of his unique century celebration". CricketTimes.com. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  34. ↑ "India's Tour of England: KL Rahul breaks records at Lord's". Sportstar the Hindu.com. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  35. ↑ "India's T20 World Cup squad: R Ashwin picked, MS Dhoni named mentor". ESPN Cricinfo. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  36. ↑ "T20 World Cup 2021: Shoaib Malik smashes fastest 50 of tournament, Pakistan book Australia clash in SF". Zee News. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  37. ↑ "KL Rahul hits second fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 World Cups in Dubai blitz against Scotland". India Today. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  38. ↑ "KL Rahul and Axar Patel ruled out of T20Is against West Indies". Espncricinfo. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  39. ↑ Roy, Rica (8 June 202). "KL Rahul Out Of SA T20Is Due To Injury, Rishabh Pant To Captain India". NDTV. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  40. ↑ "KL Rahul to lead India vs Zimbabwe after being declared fit by medical team". The Economic Times. PTI. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  41. ↑ "India vs Zimbabwe: Not good for Shikhar Dhawan to get replaced as a captain by KL Rahul, says Mohammad Kaif". Firstpost. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  42. ↑ "Why Is Rohit Sharma Not Leading India vs Afghanistan? Stand-In Skipper KL Rahul Answers | Cricket News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  43. ↑ "KL Rahul saga: After Venkatesh Prasad, another ex-India bowler criticizes former vice-captain for poor form". 22 February 2023.
  44. ↑ "KL Rahul Brutally Trolled For His Selection In Indian Team In Parody Clip". News18. 23 February 2023.
  45. ↑ "IND vs PAK, Asia Cup: Scorecard". Filmy Celeb. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  46. ↑ "bcci.tv - WORLD CUP 2023 squad announced".
  47. ↑ https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/india-announce-squad-for-odi-series-vs-australia/
  48. ↑ https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2023-24-1367856/india-vs-australia-5th-match-1384396/full-scorecard
  49. ↑ "Morris and Mustafizur, Krunal and Chahal in IPL XI". Cricinfo. 30 May 2016.
  50. ↑ "Indian Premier League 2016: Cricbuzz's Team of the Tournament". 30 May 2016.
  51. ↑ "KL Rahul to miss IPL 2017 due to shoulder injury: Report". Hindustan Times. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  52. ↑ "RCB vs KKR match: After Lokesh Rahul's fastest IPL fifty, Sunil Narine slams 17-ball 50 in IPL 2018, Match 3". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  53. ↑ "Rahul floors Daredevils with fastest ever IPL fifty". ESPNcricinfo. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  54. ↑ "Vote for your IPL 2018 team of the tournament". ESPNcricinfo. 31 May 2018.
  55. ↑ "CB XI - team of IPL 2018". 28 May 2018.
  56. ↑ "KL Rahul appointed KXIP captain for IPL 2020". The Times of India. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  57. ↑ "IPL 2020 Has Its First Century And KL Rahul Is Leading KXIP From The Front". IndiaTimes. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  58. ↑ "IPL 2020: Kings XI Punjab's KL Rahul wins Orange Cap in UAE". hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  59. ↑ "Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2021". Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  60. ↑ "IPLT20.com". Indian Premier League Official Website. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  61. ↑ "Rahul 103*, Avesh three-for headline dominant Super Giants' fourth win". ESPN Cricinfo. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  62. ↑ "iplt20.com".
  63. ↑ "iplt20.com".
  64. ↑ "STATISTICS / STATSGURU / KL RAHUL / TEST MATCHES". ESPN CricInfo. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  65. ↑ "Full scorecard at Australia vs. India 4th Test 2014/15". ESPN CricInfo. January 2015.
  66. ↑ "Full Scorecard of India vs Sri Lanka2nd Test 2015". ESPN CricInfo. August 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  67. ↑ "Full scorecard of West Indies vs India 2ndTest 2016". ESPN CricInfo. 2016.
  68. ↑ "Full scorecard of England vs India 5th Test 2016/17". ESPN CricInfo. December 2016.
  69. ↑ "Full scorecard of England vs India 5th Test 2018". ESPN CricInfo. September 2018.
  70. ↑ "Full scorecard of England vs India 2nd Test 2021-2022". ESPN CricInfo. August 2021.
  71. ↑ "Full scorecard of South Africa vs India 1st Test 2021/22". ESPN CricInfo. December 2021.
  72. ↑ "STATISTICS / STATSGURU / KL RAHUL / ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS". ESPN CricInfo.
  73. ↑ "Full scorecard of Zimbabwe vs India 1st ODI 2016". ESPN CricInfo. 2016.
  74. ↑ "India vs Sri Lanka 44th Match 2019". ESPN Cric Info. July 2019.
  75. ↑ "Full sorecard India vs West Indies 2nd ODI 2019/20". ESPN CricInfo. December 2019.
  76. ↑ "Full scorecard of New Zealand vs India 3rd ODI 2019/20". ESPN CricInfo. February 2020.
  77. ↑ "Full scorecard of India vs England 2nd ODI 2020/21". ESPN CricInfo. March 2021.
  78. ↑ "STATISTICS / STATSGURU / KL RAHUL / TWENTY20 INTERNATIONALS". ESPN CricInfo.
  79. ↑ "Full scorecard India vs West Indies 1st T20I 2016". ESPN CricInfo. 2016.
  80. ↑ "Full scorecard England vs India 1st T20I 2018". ESPN CricInfo. 2018.

External links

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