Challenges Faced by KL Rahul: Obstacles and Turning Points

Life is full of challenges, and KL Rahul faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Kannaur Lokesh Rahul, commonly known as KL Rahul, is an Indian international cricketer recognized as a right-handed wicket-keeper batter. He represents the Indian national team and also plays for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In domestic cricket, Rahul represents Karnataka. He is a prominent figure in Indian cricket known for his batting abilities across all formats of the game.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1997: ODI Series Loss Against Sri Lanka

In 1997, KL Rahul made his comeback to the ODI team after injury against Sri Lanka, where he scored 31 and 0 in the first two ODIs. He was subsequently dropped from the final ODI, and India lost the series 2-0, which was their first bilateral loss against Sri Lanka since 1997.

June 2015: Withdrawal from Bangladesh Tour

In June 2015, Rahul was named in the squad for the Indian tour of Bangladesh but withdrew due to dengue.

September 2016: Injury and Replacement in New Zealand Series

In September 2016, Rahul was named in the squad for the home series against New Zealand but was replaced by Gautam Gambhir due to an injury after the first test.

2016: Injury and Comeback in Test Series Against England

In 2016, Rahul was selected in the squad against England in the Test series but was injured while training. He returned for the fourth test but didn't make an impact. In the fifth test, he scored his career-best 199 runs.

2017: Missed IPL Season Due to Injury

In 2017, KL Rahul missed the IPL season due to a shoulder injury.

January 2019: Suspension and Reinstatement by BCCI

In January 2019, Hardik Pandya and Rahul were suspended by the BCCI following controversial comments on "Koffee with Karan". The suspension was lifted later in January 2019, and Rahul rejoined the squad for India A matches.

February 2021: Missed Home Test Series Against England

In February 2021, Rahul missed the home Test series against England. He returned for the T20I and ODI series against England and returned to form in the ODI series scoring 62*.

January 2022: Test and ODI Captaincy Debut

In January 2022, Rahul captained India for the first time in Test cricket in the second test against South Africa, becoming the 34th Test captain of India. He also made his debut in ODI captaincy in the first ODI against South Africa, becoming the 26th ODI captain of India. India lost the series 3–0 to South Africa.

February 2022: 6000 International Runs and Hamstring Injury

In February 2022, during the second ODI of India against the West Indies, Rahul scored 49 and completed 6000 runs in international cricket across all formats. Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during the same match and was ruled out of the next ODI and the T20Is series against the West Indies.

February 2023: Removed from Test Vice-Captaincy

In February 2023, due to poor form, Rahul was removed from the Test vice-captaincy, with his spot in the team questioned.

December 2023: Test Century Against South Africa

In December 2023, during the first test match against South Africa, KL Rahul scored his 8th test century, scoring 101 runs. Despite his efforts, India lost the match.

2023: Ruled Out Due to Injury

During the 2023 season, KL Rahul was retained as the captain for Lucknow Super Giants. Unfortunately, he was ruled out of the tournament midway after sustaining an injury while fielding in a match against RCB.

2023: World Cup 2023 Campaign

In 2023, KL Rahul started his World Cup campaign with an unbeaten 97 against Australia. During the World Cup, he also scored the fastest century by an Indian batter, reaching the milestone in 62 deliveries against the Netherlands. In the final against Australia, Rahul scored 66 runs, but India lost the match.

2023: England's tour of India

In 2023, Rahul scored 86 and 22 runs in the first test match of England's tour of India. Unfortunately, he had to miss the rest of the series due to an injury.

September 2024: Test Series Against Bangladesh

In September 2024, KL Rahul was included in the squad for the 2-match Test series against Bangladesh. He scored 68 runs off 62 balls in the second test, contributing to India's victory. He was later named in the Test squad against New Zealand, where he didn't perform well in the first test and was dropped for the remaining series.

2024: Dropped from T20 World Cup Squad

In 2024, KL Rahul was not selected for the T20 World Cup squad.

2024: IPL Season 2024

In the 2024 season, KL Rahul scored 520 runs at a strike rate of 136.13, including 4 half-centuries, but his team did not make it to the play-offs. The owner of Lucknow Super Giants publicly criticized Rahul after a loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad.