The Home Conundrum: Can a more mature and stable KL Rahul conquer India?

Aashay Chopade

KL Rahul in Test cricket (AFP)KL Rahul in Test cricket (AFP)

KL Rahul made his Test debut 11 years back at the Boxing Day Test at MCG. The Karnataka youngster failed in that match, but in the very next game at the SCG, he managed to carve out his maiden Test hundred. It was a special knock from an incredibly pleasant young player, and it looked like India had unearthed a serious talent who would serve them for a long time in the purest format.

The home factor in KL Rahul's middling Test record

KL Rahul indeed has been serving India since then and has delivered plenty of memorable knocks, especially in difficult SENA conditions. However, he has not reached the Test heights that one expected from a batter of his calibre and currently boasts of an average of 35.41 after 61 Tests.

For a Test batter from India, the average seems pretty underwhelming, and one of the major reasons for it is the lack of big scores off KL's bat in home conditions. His average in Test matches in India is 39.62 in 20 Tests, while he has scored only one out of his 10 Test match centuries at home. This is quite unusual for any international batter, let alone a top-class cricketer like KL Rahul, and it is something he needs to get right as he seems to be moving towards a more stable and mature phase of his Test career.

KL Rahul centuries and fifties in Test cricket

Conditions

100s
50
Home 110
Away99

Chance for stable KL Rahul to make most of home season

For the majority of his Test career, KL Rahul has been forced to shift his batting position. He has done well as an opener in tough overseas conditions, but because of the team combination, he has even batted at six. Now, with the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, it finally seems that he has got a permanent opening position and the batter also made it count with 532 runs and two hundreds on the tour of England.

Interestingly, he has four hundreds in England compared to only one in India and with the kind of form he has shown in 2025, the stage is set for him to change his home record. India are slated to play two Tests against West Indies and two against South Africa at home this year and for the first time in many years, there is no doubt over his batting position. His only century in India came in 2016 when he was regularly opening for India. 

Now, after nine years, he is expected to open in all four home Tests, and the West Indies series is a perfect opportunity to pile on some big runs. The Windies have not been played Test cricket of a level that can challenge India and thus, if the conditions are bit batting friendly, Indian openers including KL Rahul can cash in.

KL Rahul has also expressed his readiness with a scintillating unbeaten 176 in the run-chase of 413 against Australia A. Therefore, the batter looks determined, and can be expected to add to his hundred tally in home Tests. KL Rahul is also an accomplished batter against spin, a dominant factor in Indian conditions with an average of 43.5 against the tweakers in the longest format.

KL Rahul against spinners in Test cricket

Criterion
Data
Innings
52
Runs
1218
Outs
28
Average43.5

KL Rahul last batted as an opener in home Tests two years back against Australia, where he failed. However, he was struggling for form in Test cricket that year with average of 28.60, but this time around, he has form on his side and the assurance of an opening position, which has been a rarity in his career.

Thus, the time seems ripe for KL Rahul to flourish as an opener in home conditions and start a new glorious chapter in his Test career which he promised 11 years back.