KL Rahul set to complete 9,000 international runs: Details
What's the story
Veteran Indian batter KL Rahul is on the cusp of a major milestone in his career. The 33-year-old batsman needs just 60 more runs to complete 9,000 international runs. He has been a key player in the ongoing Test series against England, where India are trailing 2-1. Rahul has already scored an impressive 375 runs at an average of 62.50 in three matches, including two centuries and a fifty. The fourth match will be underway on July 23, in Manchester.
Career stats
Over 8,900 runs for Rahul across formats
As per ESPNcricinfo, Rahul has so far scored 8,940 runs in 218 matches at an average of 39.73 across all formats. He has been a consistent performer in ODIs with 3,043 runs in 85 matches at an average of 49.08, including seven centuries and 18 fifties. In T20Is, he is India's fourth-highest run-scorer with 2,265 runs in 72 matches at an average of 37.75.
Test stats
His Test numbers and performance in England
In Test matches, Rahul has scored 3,632 runs in 61 matches at an average of 35.26 with 10 centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score is 199. However, his Test average has been a talking point throughout his career. The ongoing series has improved Rahul's batting average in England conditions significantly. He has scored 989 runs at an average of over 41 with four centuries and two fifties in just over two dozen innings across a dozen Tests here.
Overseas success
Impressive overseas record
Rahul's overseas record is particularly impressive with nine of his 10 Test centuries coming away from home. Seven of these have come in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. The current series could be Rahul's most successful in Tests, potentially surpassing his performance in the 2017 series against Australia where he scored 393 runs in four matches at an average of 65.50.
Team dynamics
Link between younger and experienced players; no T20I since 2022
Rahul has become a link between the younger brigade and the experienced lot in the team. His consistent performances in the current series have silenced his critics who doubted his ability to score runs overseas. However, he hasn't played a T20 international since the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia due to concerns over his strike rate.