HIGHLIGHTS

• Kl Rahul scored an unbeaten 101 in India’s tour game against County Select XI
• India’s tour of England in 2018, Rahul played a knock of 149 at The Oval
• Kl Rahul has not played Test cricket for past two years

It has been two years since KL Rahul played Test cricket. His last Test was against West Indies at Kingston in 2019.

However, the stylish right-handed batsman is back in the mix after scoring a classy 101 (retired hurt) in India’s tour game against a County Select XI last week.

It was Rahul’s first red ball cricket match after the gap of 18 months, but his knock has raised hopes of a Test comeback in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting from August 4 in Nottingham.

It’s always good to get runs in the white kit. It’s been a while since I’d played a red-ball game, so it was very nice to be out there, and score runs. It’s important to stay patient and wait for my turn. I’ve been working on my game. It’s good to get some time in the middle and score some runs,” Rahul told bcci.tv.

“I’ve always been confident. I’ve never really worried about confidence. It’s my self-belief that has gotten me so far, but it’s about maintaining a calm head, learning from your mistakes. I’m just enjoying my game. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve learnt from them. I get stronger. Like I said this is a good opportunity again, hopefully fingers crossed I can do the job for the team,” he added

During India’s tour of England in 2018, Rahul played a knock of 149 at The Oval. He had managed just 150 runs in nine innings on that tour prior to that innings.

“I remember The Oval being the best batting pitch we got in the whole series. At the back of my mind, I also knew it was the last game of the series and I hadn’t done well in the series. So, it was only realistic that I would have probably not gotten a chance in the next series,” said Rahul.

“When I got dropped in 2018, I had to go back and discuss with coaches, watched a lot of videos to see where I was faltering and try to correct that. I’m happy, time off from Test cricket has helped. Like they say, failure makes you strong, makes you more focused and determined about the game. It’s no different for me. I’m looking forward to the opportunities, trying to stay a lot calmer and more disciplined,” he added.