KL Rahul feels 'strange' without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in the dressing room: 'Never walked into a team without them'

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

It seems as if KL Rahul, the experienced Indian batter, is missing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Used to having at least one of the two senior India stalwarts besides him, Rahul finds being in a dressing room without them a 'bit strange'. The England Tests would be the first series since 2011 that the playing XI wouldn't feature either Kohli or Rohit. Rahul made his Test debut under MS Dhoni during the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, but it was under Kohli that Rahul became the Test batter that he is.
Over the last few years, whenever Kohli wasn't around, Rahul had Rohit's arms around his shoulders. Now, to have them both suddenly gone is, without a doubt, a big shift in Indian cricket and inside the dressing room, but at the end of the day, the game must move on, as must Rahul. In their absence, Rahul realised that the onus is now on him, as one of the senior players in the team, to shoulder a lot more batting responsibilities than before.
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"Virat and Rohit have been the pillars of Indian cricket for the last decade or so, and not having them around will be a huge miss. In my whole career so far, I have never walked into a team where there is no Virat or Rohit. The 50-odd Test matches that I have played, either Virat or Rohit or both of them have been there," Rahul told his IPL franchise Delhi Capitals ahead of the first Test, which begins tomorrow at Headingley, Leeds.
"To walk into that dressing room feels a bit strange. But of course, you have to respect their decision. They have given absolutely everything for the country and they will remain legends of Indian cricket. But it's time for the rest of us to step up."
This is Rahul's third Test tour of England. In nine Tests against the hosts, Rahul has scored 614 runs at an average of 34.11, including two centuries. His first 100 came at The Oval in 2018 but unfortunately ended up being in a losing cause as India lost the match by 130-odd runs and eventually the series 1-4. Three years later, Rahul etched his name on the Lord's honours board, scoring a sublime century and playing a big role in India's dominating 151-run win. This time around, Rahul, 33, is aware of the big match stakes. Coming off a fine season with the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, where he racked up 529 runs with three fifties and a hundred, Rahul said he began preparing for England the moment the IPL finished.
"I started with my preparations for the England series right after the IPL. I spoke to my coach as well to get prepared for this assignment. It's always a challenge coming to England as they are a pretty good side, especially when they play at home. It's going to be a challenge for all of us as we are a comparatively young team," added Rahul.