Is KL Rahul India’s next big cricketing icon like Virat Kohli?

KL Rahul is one of the most talented cricketers to have played for India. However, according to many cricket experts and fans, he hasn't done justice to his potential yet.

Rahul rose through the ranks of Under-19 cricket and made his first-class debut in the 2010-2011 season. After being dropped in the following season, the right-handed batter returned in the 2012-2013 season and finished as the highest run-getter.

Rahul made his international debut in a Test match against Australia in December 2014 in Melbourne. He was dismissed for single-digit scores in both innings. However, in the following Test in Sydney, he slammed a brilliant century, earning rich praise from fans as well as experts. In ODI cricket, he debuted with an unbeaten century against Zimbabwe in Harare in June 2016. Rahul's T20I debut, on the other hand, wasn't memorable as he was dismissed for a first-ball duck against Zimbabwe a week after his maiden ODI appearance.

Rahul has played 58 Tests and scored 3,257 runs at an average of 33.58. He has registered 17 fifties and eight centuries. While his red-ball numbers might not be impressive, he has done quite well in the limited-overs formats. In ODIs, he has amassed 3,043 runs in 85 games at an average of 49.08 and a strike rate of 88.18.  He has 18 fifties and seven tons in the format. Meanwhile, in T20Is, he has 2,265 runs from 72 games, averaging 37.75 at a strike rate of 139.13.

Rahul has often been questioned about his consistency in all formats and strike rate in the shortest one. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has scored 5,187 runs from 144 games at an average of 46.31 and a strike rate of 135.86.

Reports: KL Rahul in contention for a T20I comeback

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Reports: KL Rahul in contention for a T20I comeback

Rahul has been in stunning form this year. He had a decent outing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, forging some excellent opening partnerships with Yashasvi Jaiswal. His prowess at the top of the order forced the then-captain Rohit Sharma to demote himself to No. 6 at one point on the tour. Rahul also had a memorable Champions Trophy 2025 campaign as he scored 140 runs from four innings at a mind-boggling average of 140, playing a major role in India's triumph.

However, will it be fair to say that Rahul is the next big cricketing icon after Virat Kohli? The answer is no. This is because Rahul is already 33 years old. While he might be having his best phase in international cricket, he will continue playing for seven years at most. This might not be enough for him to match the lofty standards of Kohli.

However, if the Mangaluru-born continues to produce consistent performances, he will go down as one of India's most iconic batters. Also, he is a genuine match-winner and if he does well, it will hold the Men in Blue in good stead.

Rahul is currently playing his trade for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025 after being roped in by the franchise at the mega auction last year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has already smashed 504 runs from 12 innings at an average of 56. He is striking at 148.67, his highest in a season since IPL 2018. While the Capitals couldn't make it to the playoffs, Rahul's performances stood out.

The experienced campaigner will have an important role to play in India's impending tour of England, where the Asian giants will play five Test matches. Rahul has scored 614 runs from 18 Test innings in the United Kingdom at an average of 34.11. Now that the likes of Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from red-ball cricket, Rahul will have to use his experience and look to spearhead the batting lineup.