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Mohammed Kaif praised KL Rahul for his belief and hard work after the Indian opener’s record-breaking century against West Indies in Ahmedabad.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif praised opener KL Rahul following his century against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, highlighting Rahul’s “belief and hard work” as his greatest strengths. Kaif criticised Rahul’s detractors for changing their opinions after a few impressive innings. Rahul scored his first home century since 2016 and his second overall at home during the Test in Ahmedabad, amassing 100 runs in 197 balls with 12 fours. This achievement placed him among the elite group of Indian openers with 10 or more Test centuries.
After a successful tour of England, where he acted as a mentor in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul aims to dominate the home season, marking his best Test year so far. Despite years of inconsistency, injuries, and struggles to convert starts into significant scores, Rahul has now boosted his average to 36.00, which is expected to rise further.
India Vs West Indies: 1st Test, Day 2 – Live Score
Kaif posted on X, formerly Twitter, “How opinions change after scoring in few innings.. Now his critics say there is no one like him. Remember: KL Rahul strength is his belief and hard work. That’s what makes him rise after every fall and perform despite the pressure.”
Record KL Rahul Broke?
Rahul joins Sunil Gavaskar (33 centuries), Virender Sehwag (22 centuries), and Murali Vijay (12 centuries) as the fourth Indian opener with 10 or more Test centuries. Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma have nine centuries each as Test openers for India, according to Wisden. Rahul’s previous home century was against England in December 2016 at Chennai, where he scored 199. The 3211-day gap between his first and second home centuries is the longest for an Indian batter.
This year has been Rahul’s best in Tests, with 649 runs in seven matches and 13 innings at an average of 54.08, including three centuries and two fifties, and a highest score of 137. His standout series performance was against England in the UK, where he finished as the third-highest run-scorer with 532 runs in 10 innings at an average of 53.20, including two centuries and two fifties. Since returning as an opener during last year’s tour to Australia, Rahul has accumulated 884 runs in 10 matches and 19 innings at an average of 49.11, with three centuries and four fifties, and a top score of 137.
(With inputs from ANI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
October 03, 2025, 15:18 IST
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