KL Rahul joins Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli in elite list during 1st Test vs Bangladesh

India batter KL Rahul has joined an elite club that includes the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and many more legends. Rahul achieved this huge feat during the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai.

During the second innings of the Chennai Test, Rahul completed 8000 runs in international cricket. Rahul became the latest entrant in the club of 8000 international runs for India and became the 17th Indian batter to achieve the feat.

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KL Rahul completes 8000 runs in international cricket

KL Rahul completed 8000 runs in International cricket. 🌟

- One of the finest in this generation. pic.twitter.com/hvnAb1AnUR

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 21, 2024

Rahul reached the milestone with a four off the part-time left-arm spinner Mominul Haque. It was an arm ball from Mominul but it was too short and Rahul rocked back to smash it wide of the mid-off fielder.

KL Rahul's performance in the Chennai Test

The 32-year-old scored an unbeaten 22 off just 19 balls with 4 fours in the second innings as Rohit Sharma announced India's declaration at 287-4. While Rahul remained not out on 22, Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 119 off 176 balls. Gill smashed 10 fours and 4 sixes during his knock.

Although Rahul achieved this feat, he did not have much to do in the match. In the first innings, he was dismissed for 16 by the off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz as Zakir Hasan took a brilliant catch at short leg.

Interestingly, Rahul's best Test score also came on the same ground. He scored 199 against England at Chepauk in 2016 as India defeated England by an innings and 75 runs.

Rahul started his Test career as an opener, however, the team management is looking at him as a middle-order batter in Test cricket now. He started batting in the middle order in India's home Test series against England earlier this year.

Rahul played the first Test of the series and scored 87 in the first innings before getting injured and was ruled out of the series. The ongoing Chennai Test is his first Test match since then. He has batted at No. 6 in this match below Rishabh Pant.

Before this series, KL Rahul was in a tussle with Sarfaraz Khan for the lone middle spot. However, the team management trusted Rahul to get the first shot at the role.

KL Rahul in white-ball cricket

Apart from playing over 50 Tests, KL Rahul has also played 72 T20Is and 77 ODIs for India. He has scored 2265 runs in T20Is at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.12 with 2 hundreds and 22 fifties.

In ODIs, he has scored 2851 runs so far an average of 49.15 and a strike rate of 87.56 with 7 hundreds and 18 fifties. Rahul started his ODI career as an opener too but shifted to the middle order slot and later owned the position with some terrific performances.