Former India star Sanjay Manjrekar has issued a stern message to KL Rahul ahead of the second Test in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy: don’t let your impressive century at Headingley become just a one-time headline. Manjrekar insists Rahul must build on that innings and deliver consistently to fill the void left by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
India suffered a narrow five-wicket loss in the opening Test at Leeds, but KL Rahul’s resilience shone through with a gritty 42 in the first innings and a commanding 137 in the second. Manjrekar credits Rahul’s knock but warns that Indian cricket is counting on him to replicate such performances throughout the series—not just once.
On Star Sports’ “Game Plan,” Manjrekar also praised Rishabh Pant’s red-ball awakening after his rare twin centuries, highlighting Pant’s evident passion and hunger for Test cricket. But it’s Rahul who now faces the spotlight and must evolve from a “one-hundred wonder” into a pillar of consistent run-scoring.
With the Edgbaston Test set for July 2–6, Manjrekar’s rallying cry is clear: Rahul has no room for complacency—India needs his runs again, and fast.
