IND vs ENG: KL Rahul eyes multiple records in Manchester as India aim to level series vs England

As India gets ready for a big 4th Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting July 23, everyone will be watching vice-captain KL Rahul. He's expected to play a key part as India tries to even up the five-match series, where they're currently behind 2-1. He's also close to reaching some personal goals that show how much he's grown in Indian cricket.

Close to 9,000 International runs

KL Rahul needs just 60 more runs to hit 9,000 international runs in all formats. If he does it in Manchester, he'll be the 16th Indian cricketer to do so, joining some legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid. He now has 8,940 runs from 218 international matches, which shows how steady he's been in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.

Joining the 1,000-run club in England

Rahul is also waiting to get 1,000 Test runs in England. Right now, he has 989 runs in 12 Tests (24 innings) there, with an average of 41.20, including four centuries and two half-centuries. If he scores 11 more runs at Old Trafford, he will become the fourth Indian batter to reach this milestone, along with Sachin Tendulkar (1,575 runs), Rahul Dravid (1,376 runs), and Sunil Gavaskar (1,152 runs). This would help confirm his status as one of India's best Test batsmen in tough away conditions.

Could this be his best Test series?

Rahul has performed really well in the ongoing series against England, accumulating 375 runs across three Tests with an average of 62.50. His achievements include two centuries and one fifty, positioning him as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the series to date. He's just 19 runs away from beating his personal best of 393 runs in a single Test series, which he got against Australia in 2017. If he keeps up his good form, this series could be his best Test performance yet.

Establishing himself as an overseas specialist

It's worth noting that nine of KL Rahul's ten Test centuries have been scored away from home, with seven of them in the challenging SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. He's often done well in tough foreign conditions, and his performance in the current series has just confirmed his reputation as India's top Test opener when playing abroad.

As India faces a critical match in Manchester, KL Rahul's form and his pursuit of these milestones will definitely be a key story, possibly inspiring the team to tie the series.

Also read| Karun Nair's Test career over? Star batter returns to Karnataka amidst England struggles