Underrated KL Rahul Finally Getting His Due!

KL Rahul who is on his 25th Test series in 10 years has not been able to stamp his authority in a consistent way though. He was ever a batter with promise and potential. When he scored a 110 in his third Test innings in Sydney in January 2015, he was seen as a gifted opener emerging out of the Karnataka stable and in the mould of a typical opener, showing the full face of the bat in defence and sure shot in stroke making. After 109 innings (109th incomplete) in 62 Tests, it can be said that he belonged to the highest echelons of international cricket, in particular in red-ball cricket. He has evolved over time and the first thing that he would tell even a layman is that of his organised ways of responding to a delivery from a fast bowler or a spinner. He has not figured in 46 Tests after his debut in Australia, but he is the fourth highest run getter for India after his debut. Only three others — Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane — have scored more than him, but in many more Tests. He has scored 3765 runs with ten x 100s, nine of them in Sydney, Colombo, Kingston, The Oval, Lord’s, Centurion Park, and Headingley. Rahul has scored 3311 runs as an opener and for the first time in his career he went past the 500-run mark in the course of his second innings at Manchester. He has gritted it out to score 508 + runs at an average exceeding 72 and become the second highest run-getter on the tour of England contributing almost 18 % of the team score. Underrated all through his career, Rahul is finally getting his due!