KL Rahul continued his stunning run of form with a magnificent 11th Test century against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. What made the knock special was that it marked his first Test hundred on home soil in nearly nine years, ending a long wait of 3,211 days. Resuming his innings from an overnight 53, Rahul looked composed and determined. He reached his century off 190 deliveries, guiding India past the 200-run mark in reply to West Indies’ modest 162 in the first innings.
The last time Rahul had celebrated a Test century was back in December 2016 against England in Chennai, where he registered his career-best score of 199. With this landmark, Rahul now boasts 10 Test centuries as an opener, surpassing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir, both of whom have nine to their names. Among Indian openers, only legends Sunil Gavaskar (33), Virender Sehwag (22), and Murali Vijay (12) stand ahead of him on the centuries tally.
Rahul’s purple patch isn’t confined to just Test cricket. Earlier this season, he struck his first First-Class hundred in India since 2016, scoring an unbeaten 176 in a record 412-run chase for India A against Australia A in Lucknow. That knock seems to have set the tone for a resurgent year.
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His overseas performances also underline this resurgence. During the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, Rahul piled up 532 runs in five Tests, including two centuries and two half-centuries, proving vital to India’s series success.
Commanding & Klassy! 😤@klrahul brings up his century at home, his 2nd in 8 years as #TeamIndia consolidate their lead. 🇮🇳
Catch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/JFWO3nYmj8#INDvWI 1st Test, Day 2 👉 LIVE NOW on Star Sports & JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/zbeFhZqUcd
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 3, 2025
Experts believe Rahul is finally unlocking his true potential. Former wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel praised his composure, stating that Rahul “looks more in control and confident,” and predicted this could become his most successful year in international cricket since 2017.
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Meanwhile, ex-opener Aakash Chopra stressed that Rahul’s next challenge is improving his Test average, which currently hovers in the mid-30s. “An average of 35 doesn’t do justice to Rahul’s talent. This series and the upcoming South Africa tour are golden opportunities for him to push that number closer to 42–45,” Chopra remarked, also highlighting Rahul’s elegant backfoot play as one of the best in world cricket today.
With form, fitness, and confidence on his side, KL Rahul seems poised to not only cement his place as India’s premier opener but also script one of his finest Test seasons yet.
