KL Rahul addressed the upcoming five-match Test series against England starting Friday at Headingley, Leeds, discussing the impact of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma‘s retirements and expressing support for teammate Karun Nair’s return to the Indian team after eight years.The absence of Kohli and Sharma, who announced their Test retirements in May, leaves significant gaps in India’s batting lineup at opening and number four positions. Kohli, 36, concluded his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches, ranking fourth in India’s all-time Test run-scorers.“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. 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,” Rahul told Delhi Capitals media team.Karun Nair’s return to the Indian team comes after impressive recent performances, including a double century against England Lions in Canterbury and 198 runs in eight matches for Delhi Capitals during IPL 2025.
Nair, 33, made his Test debut against England in Mohali in 2016 and scored an unbeaten 303 in his third Test in Chennai. He played only three more Tests against Australia in 2017 before being dropped due to poor form.“We started playing cricket as 11-year-old boys together and we have been on this journey ever since. Both of us have had our ups and downs. He got his opportunity, scored a triple hundred, faced a bit of tough time after that for a lot of reasons. But what has stood out is the way he has performed in the last 2-3 years,” Rahul said.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?“It’s been great to see how he has gone back to basics. We have spoken about his time in the UK and him having played County cricket, and the difficulties and the challenges that he faced. To have that drive to make a comeback to the Indian team despite all the hardships is commendable. I hope both of us can play for a very long time for the Indian team,” he added.Regarding his own preparation for the series, Rahul began immediately after the IPL season.“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.”The first Test at Headingley, Leeds, will mark the beginning of the 2025/26 World Test Championship cycle for both teams.