"Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were not there" - Ashish Nehra lauds KL Rahul's performance in ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former India player Ashish Nehra has lauded KL Rahul for playing responsibly in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He noted that the opener was the most experienced batter in the Indian lineup, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma not being part of the team due to their retirements.

The five-match series between India and England ended in a 2-2 draw after the visitors registered a narrow six-run win in the final Test at The Oval on Monday, August 4. Rahul amassed 532 runs at an average of 53.20 in his 10 innings in the series.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Nehra praised Rahul for ensuring that Team India didn't feel Kohli and Rohit's absence.

"He was an experienced batter. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were not there. There were a few young players. An England tour is not easy. No matter how much you discuss that the pitches in the first two Tests were the flattest, you still need to score runs on that, and this player showed that by doing it," he said.

The former India pacer expressed happiness about Rahul getting to bat at his favored opening position.

"As an opener, when you are the most experienced player in the team, that must be in your mind. The experienced players like him and Jasprit Bumrah did their job fully. It felt good that he got a chance to play at the number he has been playing for a long time. He made the most of the opportunity he got at the right place," Nehra observed.

KL Rahul struck two centuries and as many half-centuries in his 10 innings. Shubman Gill (754 runs) was the only Indian player to score more runs than him in the five-match series.

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"KL Rahul had made a strong decision before the series about which shots he had to avoid" - RP Singh

KL Rahul refrained from playing extravagant drives in the Test series against England. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, former India pacer RP Singh praised KL Rahul for being selective in his strokeplay.

"I feel KL Rahul had made a strong decision before the series about which shots he had to avoid. The bat was always close to his body. He only drove the fuller-length balls. He tried to take singles off the length balls. He also shared his experience with the captain," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Karnataka player also guided his batting partners, barring Rishabh Pant.

"While batting, at times, you have to tell your partner how much the ball is swinging or what he can correct during the match. He tried that with a few people, although he didn't do it with Rishabh Pant. However, he was exchanging words with the other batters," Singh observed.

To conclude, RP Singh noted that KL Rahul's best came to the fore in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He added that the stylish batter was playing stroke-filled knocks lately but felt he had to alter his approach slightly for Test cricket, which he did to his favor.