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20-07-2025 Vol 19

IND vs ENG 4th Test: KL Rahul eyes historic milestone at Old Trafford | Cricket News – Times of India


India’s KL Rahul (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)

Indian opener KL Rahul stands on the brink of achieving 9,000 international runs as he approaches the fourth Test against England at Manchester on July 23, 2025. The 31-year-old batsman needs just 60 more runs to reach this milestone, having accumulated 8,940 runs across all formats in 218 matches at an average of 39.73.Rahul has emerged as a key figure in the ongoing series against England, where India trails 2-1. He has already scored 375 runs in three matches at an impressive average of 62.50, including two centuries and a fifty. In Test matches, Rahul has amassed 3,632 runs in 61 matches at an average of 35.26, featuring 10 centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score remains 199, though his Test average has been a point of discussion throughout his career. His ODI record shows greater consistency with 3,043 runs in 85 matches at an average of 49.08, including seven centuries and 18 fifties. In T20Is, he ranks as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer with 2,265 runs in 72 matches at an average of 37.75.

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The current England series has significantly improved Rahul’s batting average in English conditions. In 12 Tests in England, he has scored 989 runs at an average of 41.20, with four centuries and two fifties in 24 innings. Rahul’s performance outside Asia has been particularly noteworthy, with nine of his ten Test centuries coming away from home. Seven of these centuries have been scored in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. In the ongoing series, Rahul has faced 670 balls, ranking fourth among Indian openers in England since 1990. He has the opportunity to surpass his own record of 735 deliveries from the 2021 tour, as well as Rohit Sharma’s 866 deliveries and Murali Vijay’s record of 1,054 balls from 2014.

Poll

Will KL Rahul reach 9,000 international runs in the upcoming Test?

The current series could become Rahul’s most successful in Tests, potentially surpassing his performance in the 2016-17 series against Australia where he scored 393 runs in four matches at an average of 65.50. Within the team structure, Rahul has established himself as a bridge between younger players and the experienced generation. His consistent performances in the current series, with at least one fifty-plus score in each Test, have answered his critics who previously questioned his ability to maintain form in overseas conditions. His overall international career statistics include 19 centuries and 58 fifties across formats, placing him as the 16th-highest run-getter for India in all-time lists. However, he hasn’t participated in T20 internationals since the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, where his scoring rate was considered less aggressive compared to newer T20 specialists.




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