KL Rahul vs Rohit Sharma - comparing their record in England ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Team India need their opening combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal to fire if they wish to overthrow England in their backyard. The Men in Blue are likely to start pff with the aforementioned pairing, and they have a massive responsibility in a bid to replicate Rohit Sharma's efforts from the previous tour.

KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have been India's most successful batters in England in recent times. The pair showed patience, left the ball with discipline, and protected the middle order on several occasions to leave a lasting impression.

Although it is the end of the road for Rohit Sharma as he announced his retirement ahead of the tour, KL Rahul has a massive opportunity to cement his place at the top, and end the barrage of shuffles in the batting order.

On that note, let us compare Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's records in England ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test.

#1 Overall Stats

Both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have played in England across two tours, giving them a similar number of appearances until now. The former India skipper had a solitary outing in the 2014 tour, missed the 2018 tour altogether, before featuring in the entire 2021 series. He was in line to play the rescheduled fifth Test as well, but was ruled out due to COVID.

Largely on the back of a prolific series in 2021, Sharma boasts a solid record in England, averaging a touch above 40.

KL Rahul, on the other hand, is set for a third consecutive tour of England, having played in 2018 and 2021. He had a difficult start to life in England, initially playing at No.3, before being listed as an opener.

The wicket-keeper batter scored only 113 runs across his first eight innings in England. However, he was able to turn it around with a hundred in the fifth Test in 2018 at The Oval, not turning back since.

Player Name	Matches	Runs	Average
KL Rahul	9	614	34.11
Rohit Sharma	7	524	40.31

#2 Stats as opening batter

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have predominantly featured in England as opening batters. The Hitman's lone outing outside the top two came during his maiden outing in 2014, when India had the pairing of Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan.

In fact, the pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul opened during the 2021 series, and the way they handled the new ball was the foundation of the success that the team enjoyed, most notably at Lord's and The Oval.

The pair boasts largely similar numbers as opener, with Rohit Sharma having a slightly higher average.

While all of KL Rahul's outings in England have come against England, that is not the case for Rohit Sharma. The former skipper opened twice for India across their consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Finals appearances as well.

Player Name	Matches	Runs	Average
KL Rahul	8	597	37.31
Rohit Sharma	6	490	44.54

#3 Fifties and Hundreds

Opening the batting in England is one of the toughest tasks for a batter in world cricket. The prevalent overcast conditions, the Duke's ball, and the highly potent English seamers, ensure that milestones are rare for visiting opening batters on their soil.

In spite of the odds being stacked against them, the pair have managed to chip in with some meaningful knocks that have been etched in memory.

KL Rahul's stunning 149 to give India a chance in the fourth innings run chase at The Oval remains a crucial knock in his career. He also scored a memorable ton at the Lord's, setting the platform for one of India's most iconic win in whites. His sole fifty on English soil was a resilient one, which came during the 2021 series opener in Trent Bridge. He faced 214 balls for his 84-run knock, helping India start the series on a strong note.

Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, has two fifties and one hundred in Tests in England. His lone ton was the iconic knock in the second innings at The Oval in 2021, which helped India make a stunning comeback and claim a lead in the five-match series. He narrowly missed out on a hundred at Lord's during the same tour, scoring an important 83 off 145 deliveries.