KL Rahul owns two Test centuries in England: Stats
What's the story
Veteran Indian batter KL Rahul is set to play a key role in the upcoming Test series against hosts England.
The five-match affair will begin on June 20 in Leeds.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announcing their Test retirement last month, Rahul is the most experienced batter in the team, having played 58 Tests.
Meanwhile, here we decode his Test numbers on England soil.
2018
His maiden Test assignment in England
This will be Rahul's third Test tour of England, having previously played Test series here in 2018 and 2021.
Rahul faltered with the bat in the 2018 series, managing 299 runs across five Tests at 29.90, as per ESPNcricinfo.
A 149 in the final Test made his numbers a bit respectable as India suffered a 1-4 defeat.
DYK
Rahul's historic 149 at The Oval
Rahul's 149 in the aforementioned series came in the fourth innings of the Oval Test.
This continues to be the sixth-highest fourth-innings score by an opener on England soil.
South Africa's Graeme Smith (154* in 2008) is the only other opener in this century to touch the 140-run mark while batting in the fourth innings in UK.
2021
Rahul's numbers in 2021 series
Rahul fared far better in India's inconclusive 2021 Test tour of England.
He formed a fine opening pair alongside Rohit Sharma as India were 2-1 up after four Tests.
Rahul scored 319 runs across eight innings at a brilliant average of 39.38. This includes a match-winning 129 at the iconic Lord's.
His only other 50-plus score in the series was an 84 in the opener in Nottingham.
Information
His overall numbers in England
Overall, Raul has managed 614 runs across nine Tests in England at 34.11. Notably, the Lord's hundred in 2021 made Rahul the fifth Indian opener with multiple Test hundreds in England. Others on the list are Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Merchant, and Ravi Shastri (two each).
SENA
Rahul's performance in SENA nations has been a mixed bag
Meanwhile, Rahul's overall performance in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) has been a mixed bag.
He has scored 1,446 runs in 26 matches (50 innings) at an average of 29.51.
The versatile batter has hit five tons and four fifties in these countries, where he has been dismissed 45 times by pacers.
Career stats
His overall Test stats and performance against England
Coming to his Test career, Rahul has scored 3,257 runs at an average of 33.57 from 58 matches.
He has hit eight hundreds and 17 fifties with a strike rate of 52.80.
Against England specifically, he has scored 955 runs in 13 matches at an average of 39.79 with three centuries and two fifties to his name.
His highest Test score of 199 was also recorded against the Brits in 2016.