KL Rahul

KL Rahul (full name Kannur Lokesh Rahul) is an Indian cricketer born on April 18, 1992, in Bangalore, India. He is a right-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper who made his debut in international cricket in 2014. KL Rahul was born to a family of educators and sports enthusiasts in Bangalore, India.

His father KN Lokesh is a professor at the National Institute of Technology in Surathkal, Karnataka, while his mother Rajeshwari is a history professor. KL Rahul's parents were both involved in sports during their younger years, with his father being a state-level cricketer, and his mother being a national-level badminton player. Rahul's grandfather was also a well-known athlete and had played for Mysore in the Ranji Trophy.

Rahul has one younger sister, Bhavna, who is also a sportsperson and plays tennis at the national level. Rahul initially played for Karnataka in domestic cricket and quickly became a standout performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing teams such as Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), and Sunrisers Hyderabad. In 2014,

Rahul made his international debut for India in a Test match against Australia in Melbourne. He then went on to represent India in all three formats of the game, becoming one of the most versatile players in the Indian cricket team.

Some of Rahul's notable achievements in international cricket include scoring a century on his One Day International (ODI) debut, scoring a century in all three formats of international cricket, and becoming the first Indian to score a century in his first innings as an opener in Test cricket.

KL Rahul Career

KL Rahul is a tall and stylish right-handed batsman who can also step in as a wicketkeeper when needed. He's considered one of the promising young opening batsmen in India. Rahul was part of the Indian team in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup and began his professional cricket career later that year. It took some time for him to make his mark in the first-class cricket scene, but he had a breakthrough season in 2013-14, playing a significant role in Karnataka's Ranji Trophy victory with over 1,000 runs, including three centuries and three nineties.

He gained attention during the IPL (Indian Premier League) auction and was eventually picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 1 crore (approximately US$166,000). While he played as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the 2014 IPL season, his batting performances were consistent but not outstanding.

In longer-format cricket, KL Rahul's technique and determination have impressed some of the most respected figures in Indian cricket. One such figure is Rahul Dravid, who not only shares a name with him but also shares a strong mentor-student relationship. Rahul sought Dravid's guidance for the technical and mental aspects of his game.

Rahul's performance in Australia with the India A team in 2014 wasn't remarkable, but he returned to his run-scoring ways during the 2014-15 domestic season. His twin centuries in the Duleep Trophy final earned him a spot in India's Test squad for their tour of Australia.

In 2016, Rahul had a successful IPL season, which paved the way for his inclusion in the Indian ODI and T20 squads for the tour of Zimbabwe in June. He achieved the feat of becoming the first Indian batsman to score a century on his debut in a 50-over cricket match.