As part of the current move, the Kolkata Knight Riders are looking to acquire renowned India batsman KL Rahul to their squad ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League. The decision to hire KL Rahul comes shortly after the squad said goodbye to Bharat Arun and Chandrakant Pandit from its coaching staff. It is unclear whether he will be brought in as a captain or a specialised batter.
If the speculations are true, Rahul will have played for six different teams in his IPL career, having begun with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He had his most successful years in the league with the Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru).
Notably, IPL 2024 did not go as planned for ace wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul, as his club, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time. Fans and experts alike blamed Rahul’s sluggish strike rates and slow knocks in pressure moments for their defeat. This is when the team released him, and he was selected by the Delhi Capitals to play as a specialist hitter.
The strategy paid off for both DC and Rahul, as the batter finished with the most runs in the event and the team was on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages. Despite being a late addition to the Playing XI, the Mangalore native scored 539 runs in 13 games at an amazing average of 53.90, and his strike rate reached a healthy 150. Since then, Rahul has been in fantastic form, which has carried over into the Test format.
KL Rahul’s terrific form in England
He is currently the second-highest run-scorer for India in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. In the four games against England so far, the dynamic batter has played as an opener for the Indian team, scoring two magnificent centuries and a couple of half-centuries as well. He has scored 511 runs in eight innings at an average of 63.87. He will certainly look to end his tour to the United Kingdom on a high, with the fifth and final Test of the series underway at the Kennington Oval in London.
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