Amid the T20 World Cup buzz, KL Rahul returns to red-ball form with consecutive Ranji centuries, quietly reinforcing his longer-format credentials.
In the electric buzz of the 2026 T20 World Cup, where India stars chase glory under floodlights in distant stadiums, one cricketer has chosen a quieter battlefield.
KL Rahul, the elegant opener from Karnataka, is scripting a story of grit and revival in the Ranji Trophy knockouts. Scoring consecutive hundreds, first a masterful 130 in the quarter-final against Mumbai, then another gem in the semi-final against Uttarakhand, he’s not just piling runs on domestic pitches; he’s rebuilding his case as India’s most reliable Test opener.
Amid turbulent times for the India Test team, these knocks emerge as a ray of hope, strengthening the foundation for gruelling assignments ahead.
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KL Rahul’s Ranji knockout heroics
Rahul’s Ranji exploits couldn’t be timelier. The quarter-final thriller against Mumbai at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), saw Karnataka chasing the target of 325. Rahul, opening the innings, anchored with 130 off 182 balls, blending silken drives with resolute defence. His knock, laced with 14 fours and a towering six, steered Karnataka to a competitive chase, securing a thrilling seven-wicket win.
In the semi-final against Uttarakhand, he elevated his game further, notching another century, on a tricky pitch that demanded patience. KL Rahul and skipper Devdutt Padikkal together added a mammoth 278 for the second wicket to deflate Uttarakhand in Lucknow.
While Rahul fell for 141 just before the final hour of day one of the Ranji Trophy semi-final, Padikkal headed to stumps undefeated on 148.
India’s Test struggles
This domestic diligence shines brighter against India’s recent Test woes. The World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has been a rollercoaster. In late 2025, India suffered a humiliating 2-0 whitewash against South Africa at home, exposing frailties at the top.
Openers faltered, while the middle order crumbled. Finding consistent performers from domestic circuits has been India’s Achilles’ heel; too many IPL-contracted stars skip Ranji, diluting the talent pool. Rahul, however, bucks the trend.
While T20 World Cup fever grips the nation, Rahul has juggled with Ranji commitments.
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Rahul’s 2025 resurgence
Flashback to 2025, and Rahul’s resurgence was nothing short of phoenix-like. Post Rohit Sharma’s retirement after the Melbourne Test in BGT 2024-25, India sought stability at the top. Rahul delivered, finishing as the team’s second-highest run-scorer with 813 Test runs at 45.16, trailing only Shubman Gill’s 983.
He notched centuries in England, a gritty hundred at Lord’s amid seaming conditions, and at home against West Indies. These weren’t flukes; Rahul’s technique, with its high elbow and impeccable leave, addressed India’s long-standing opener conundrum. Stats bear it out: his away average soared to 45.75 in 2025, up from 31.68 till 2024, proving he’s the glue India craved.
What sets Rahul apart is his unwavering commitment to domestic cricket, a rarity in the IPL-saturated calendar. While T20 leagues lure players with fat paychecks, Rahul prioritises red-ball grind. He has played six Ranji games this season alone, plus Vijay Hazare outings.
This echoes the legends: Sachin Tendulkar turned out for Mumbai in Ranji during international lulls, honing his art on matting wickets; Sourav Ganguly, post-captaincy, played domestic to reclaim his spot. Rahul’s philosophy mirrors theirs; domestic form fuels international fire.
Logically, these performances fortify India’s Test roadmap. Post IPL 2026, India will play nine Tests – two against Sri Lanka, two against New Zealand, and five at home against Australia. These games will be pivotal for a spot in the WTC 2027 final.
With Jaiswal aggressive but still raw and Gill adapting to captaincy, Rahul’s experience, over 4053 Test runs, offers stability. India’s last few poor Test performances have been a concern, and in such turbulent times, Rahul emerges as a ray of hope.
Critics once labelled Rahul “fragile” after injury setbacks and axing in the WTC 2023 final. However, after multiple changes in his batting order, Rahul has returned to the opening position in what could have been his last shot at sealing his spot in the absence of Kohli and Sharma.
