Team India opener KL Rahul delivered a record-breaking performance on Day 4 of the first Test against England in Leeds, notching a brilliant century under testing conditions. Rahul’s composed and determined knock in the second innings not only anchored India’s batting effort but also saw him surpass several legends in the record books.
With this ton, Rahul became the Asian opener with the most Test centuries in England – his third in the country – overtaking greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Vijay Merchant, Ravi Shastri, and Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal, all of whom had scored two centuries each in England as openers.
KL Rahul now holds the record for the most Test centuries by an Asian opener in England, with three centuries to his name. He surpassed a group of cricketing legends – Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Merchant, Ravi Shastri, and Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal – each of whom had scored two centuries as openers in English conditions.
Rahul’s latest century is his ninth in Test cricket, with an astonishing eight of those coming away from home, underlining his reputation as a dependable overseas performer. The milestone knock came in the second session of Day 4, with England’s bowlers applying consistent pressure alongside a resilient Rishabh Pant.
Rahul also matched another major achievement – his latest innings marked his ninth fifty-plus score as an opener in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), equaling Virender Sehwag and Murali Vijay. Only Sunil Gavaskar is ahead in this elite list with 19 such scores.
KL Rahul has also matched an impressive milestone in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries, recording his ninth fifty-plus score as a Test opener. With this, he joins Virender Sehwag and Murali Vijay on the list, all tied with nine such scores. The trio trails only Sunil Gavaskar, who leads the chart with a remarkable 19 fifty-plus scores as an Indian opener in SENA nations. Gautam Gambhir follows with seven.
