Star Indian batter KL Rahul has admitted that he has thought about retirement but said he is still “some time away” from making that decision.

Speaking with former England captain Kevin Pietersen, Rahul said stepping away from cricket would not be very difficult for him, as he does not see himself as too important. The 33-year-old is a regular member of India’s Test and ODI teams. He opens the batting in Tests and plays a key role at number five or six in ODIs.

Regarded as one of the most technically sound batters in world cricket, Rahul struggled with inconsistency in the early part of his career. Since around 2022, however, he has found form again and re-established himself as a key player in both formats.

“I have thought about it. I don’t think retirement will be that difficult,” Rahul said on Pietersen’s YouTube channel. “If you are honest with yourself, you know when the time has come. There is no point dragging it. But I am still some time away.”

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Changed priorities after becoming a father

Star Indian batter KL Rahul said his priorities have changed since he and his wife Athiya Shetty welcomed their first child, daughter Evaarah, last year. He explained that becoming a father has completely changed the way he looks at life and cricket.

“Just quit,” Rahul said, while speaking about retirement. “Enjoy what you have and spend time with your family. I tell myself that I am not that important. Cricket in our country will go on. Cricket in the world will go on. There are more important things in life,” he said. Rahul added that after having his first baby, his mindset has changed a lot.

With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma now retired from Test cricket, Rahul has become one of the senior players in a young and changing Indian team.

KL Rahul Opens Up On Injury Struggles, Criticism & Retirement 💭

Check Out This BIG Interview NOW on Our YouTube Channel, GO SUBSCRIBE! 💥 pic.twitter.com/luXLUUl5jr

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 26, 2026

Injuries were the hardest battle

Rahul also spoke about injuries, which affected the early part of his career. He said injuries are the hardest mental challenge for any cricketer.

“There have been many times when I got injured, and that is the toughest battle,” he said. “It is not the pain from the physio or the surgeon. It is the mental fight, where your mind starts giving up,” Rahul explained.

He added that after getting injured again and again, the mind starts saying that you have done enough and earned enough from cricket to live comfortably.

Karnataka have made some positive changes to their Ranji Trophy squad for the second round of the season. Devdutt Padikkal, who impressed in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has been named the captain of the team. Several Indian Test players have also made their return to the side.

Indian players are now giving more importance to domestic cricket. This change has happened as fans have started showing more interest, especially after top international players returned to play for their state teams.

The BCCI’s rule on domestic cricket has played a key role in this shift. It has made it mandatory for Indian stars to take part in tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy whenever they are free from international duties.

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Devdutt Padikkal Named Captain of Karnataka Ranji Trophy Team

Karnataka have named Devdutt Padikkal as their new captain for the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. The change comes midway through the tournament, ahead of their match against Punjab.

Karnataka are one of the most successful teams in Ranji Trophy history. They have played strong cricket this season as well. Over the years, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has produced many talented players for the Indian team.

Earlier this season, Mayank Agarwal was leading the side. Karnataka, placed in Elite Group B, finished the first half of the tournament with two wins and three draws from their first six matches. They were third on the points table, behind Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna Return for Punjab Match

Indian star KL Rahul has returned to domestic cricket and will play for Karnataka against Punjab. The wicketkeeper-batter has been focusing more on red-ball cricket whenever he is free from international duties.

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has also been included in the 15-member squad for the match in Mohali. Krishna last played a Test for India against England at The Oval, where he took eight wickets. However, he is not part of India’s ICC T20 World Cup squad and has no international games before the IPL.

Karun Nair Ruled Out, Abhinav Manohar Dropped

The KSCA squad announcement came with a few surprises. Karun Nair has been ruled out due to injury, though the exact issue has not been confirmed.

Nair was Karnataka’s highest run-scorer this season. He scored 614 runs in six matches at an average of 87.71, including two centuries and a double hundred.

Middle-order batter Abhinav Manohar, who has struggled for form, has been dropped from the squad for the final group-stage match. Meanwhile, new captain Devdutt Padikkal is coming into the game after scoring two ducks in his last Ranji Trophy match.

Several regular members of the Indian cricket team will take part in the upcoming Ranji Trophy, which begins this week. These players are not part of India’s T20 World Cup plans and have chosen to focus on domestic cricket until IPL 2026. Key names include Test captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rishabh Pant, however, is likely to miss this phase of the tournament after suffering an injury before the IND vs NZ ODI series.

KL Rahul will return to domestic red-ball cricket for Karnataka in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025–26 season. The right-handed batter will play Karnataka’s Group D match against Punjab, starting January 29 in Mullanpur.

As per a Times of India report, Rahul will not feature in Karnataka’s January 22 match against Madhya Pradesh in Alur but is expected to join the squad for the Punjab game. This move follows the BCCI’s push for senior players without international commitments to play domestic cricket.

The Punjab vs Karnataka match is drawing attention as Shubman Gill is also expected to play for Punjab. Gill has already joined the Punjab squad for their January 22 match against Saurashtra in Rajkot, which will also include all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Gill earlier decided to spend more time in red-ball cricket after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup plans.

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Punjab’s Qualification Challenge

Punjab face a tough task in the Ranji Trophy. They need to win both of their remaining group matches to stay in the race for the knockout stage. Matches against strong teams like Saurashtra and Karnataka make their path difficult.

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Updates on Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jadeja and Pant

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will continue to represent Andhra in their remaining group matches against Vidarbha and Nagaland. Andhra are placed second in Group A and have a strong chance of qualifying. Reddy is in good form after scoring a half-century in the recent ODI series against New Zealand and is seen as a backup option for Hardik Pandya in limited-overs cricket.

Ravindra Jadeja is set to return to action for Saurashtra in their January 22 match against Punjab. He last played in the ODI series against New Zealand, where he did not make much impact. His red-ball career remains safe, but he needs match practice ahead of the next Test series against Sri Lanka. In the 2025 Test season, Jadeja scored 764 runs and took 25 wickets in 10 matches.

India Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant is unlikely to feature in the Ranji Trophy. He was not named in Delhi’s squad for the match against Chhattisgarh and is expected to continue his recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The 2026 ICC Under-19 World Cup began on January 15 with a match between India and USA. A total of 16 teams are taking part in the tournament, which is being played in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The event features some of the best young cricket talents from around the world.

India are the most successful team in Under-19 World Cup history, having won the title five times. Many fans will remember Prithvi Shaw, who led India to victory in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. Before that, in 2008, a young Indian team led by Virat Kohli won the trophy in Malaysia.

Several current Indian stars first made their mark at the Under-19 World Cup. Players like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Abhishek Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Kuldeep Yadav announced their arrival on the big stage through this tournament.

While most fans remember these well-known names, here is a list of five Indian players you may not know who also once represented India in the Under-19 World Cup.

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1. Arshdeep Singh

India’s highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, Arshdeep Singh, was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup–winning team in 2018. The team was led by Prithvi Shaw, and the tournament was held in New Zealand.

Arshdeep played two matches in the competition and took three wickets. He bowled with great control and had an economy rate of just two runs per over. At the time, most of the attention was on fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, who regularly touched 140 kmph, but Arshdeep was also part of the same strong pace group.

2. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer represented India in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2014, which was hosted by the UAE. India finished fifth, while South Africa won the tournament.

Iyer played three matches and scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 105.22. The spotlight was mainly on players like Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Sarfaraz Khan, and Deepak Hooda, but Iyer made good use of his chances. He is now the vice-captain of India’s ODI team.

3. KL Rahul

KL Rahul, who is now known for handling pressure at the senior level, played in the Under-19 World Cup 2010. He batted at number three for India.

The team was led by Ashok Menaria, with Akshath Reddy and Mayank Agarwal opening the batting. India finished sixth after losing to South Africa in the fifth-place play-off. Rahul scored 143 runs in six innings at a strike rate of under 70.

4. Cheteshwar Pujara

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara was the backbone of the Test team for many years. While he is known as a red-ball specialist, not many fans know that he was the top scorer in the Under-19 World Cup 2006.

Pujara scored 349 runs in six matches, averaging 116.33 with a strike rate of 82.11. Despite such a strong record at the youth level, he played only five ODIs for India in his senior career.

5. Stuart Binny

Stuart Binny, who once held the record for the best bowling figures by an Indian in ODIs, played in the Under-19 World Cup 2002.

The pace-bowling all-rounder featured in six matches, scoring 34 runs and taking four wickets. He made his senior India debut 12 years later and produced a memorable spell of 6/4 against Bangladesh in an ODI in 2014.

Visitors New Zealand levelled the three-match ODI series 1-1 with one to go after comfortably winning the second ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday (January 14) night. 

After New Zealand chose to field first, India scored 284/7 in 50 overs, while New Zealand chased down the target in 47.3 overs only losing three wickets.

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and captain Shubman Gill provided a good start with a 70-run partnership for the first wicket. Rohit scored 24 off 38 balls, while the skipper Gill later completed his half-century. 

Gill was dismissed for 56 runs off 53 balls with nine fours and one six, while in-form Virat Kohli was bowled for 23 off 29 balls, and Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for only eight runs. India were once struggling at 118/4. 

Watch: KL Rahul smashes fighting century in IND vs NZ 2nd ODI

KL Rahul century rescued Indian innings

While KL Rahul then strongly held the Indian innings, he got some good support from Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rahul had a 73-run partnership with Jadeja for the fifth wicket, and after Jadeja's dismissal for 27 runs, Rahul had another crucial 57-run partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy for the sixth wicket. 

While Nitish was dismissed for 20 runs, Rahul continued his impressive batting to secure a stronger total on the challenging pitch. In the 49th over, Rahul completed his eighth ODI century with a six to Kyle Jamieson's full-toss. Rahul scored 112 not out off 92 balls with 1`1 fours and one six, as the right-handed batter finished the innings with a four. 

Among the Blackcaps bowlers, Kristian Clarke picked up three out of the first four wickets, as he finished with the bowling figures of 8-0-56-3. Also, four more New Zealand bowlers got one wicket each, while the debutant Jayden Lennox impressed with the bowling figures of 10-0-42-1. 

Daryl Mitchell and Will Young set New Zealand chase

In reply, New Zealand openers, Devon Conway (16) and Henry Nicholls (10) lost their wickets cheaply, as the visitors were batting at 46/2 in 12.4 overs.  

However, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell set the New Zealand innings with a strong partnership. They set a 162-run partnership for the third wicket. While Young was dismissed after scoring 87 off 98 balls with seven fours, Mitchell strongly handled the innings, as he guided the Blackcaps to chase down the target comfortably. 

Mitchell slammed a 96-ball century as he scored 131 not out off 117 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes. Mitchell and Glenn Phillips had a 78-run partnership for the unbroken fourth wicket, while Phillips scored 32 not out off 25 balls with two fours and one six. 

Daryl Mitchell hit his eighth ODI century, as he recorded his second-highest ODI score, and without any doubt, he won the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings. 

In an afternoon against New Zealandwhere most of the spectators at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot turned up to special innings from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India’s crisis man, KL Rahul, turned up and rescued the home side to a respectable total during the second ODI as the blue brigade hope to earn a victory and make it the fifth successive successful defense in the format at this ground.

When KL Rahul walked into the middle, India were 115 for the loss of three wickets in the 22nd over before they soon were reduced to 118 for the loss of Virat Kohli. The pitch started to play its trick as the spinners got the grip off the track to create trouble for the batters to score aggressive shots.

See Also: Watch: Kristian Clarke dismisses Virat Kohli for 23 in IND vs NZ 2nd ODI in Rajkot

That was when Rahul showed his patience, understood the situation, and celebrated his eighth ODI century in just 87 deliveries. The right-handed batter cleared his front leg to nail Kyle Jamieson over the long-on region for a massive six to reach the landmark.

KL Rahul celebrates century with whistle during IND vs NZ 2nd ODI

Soon after reaching the three-figure mark, Rahul took off his helmet and seemed to be whistling as he waved his bat. Even though the reason isn’t confirmed, it seemed like he dedicated this century to his daughter. He did the same for his young daughter, Ivra. On scoring a Test century against the West Indies in October last year, he celebrated the milestone with his baby girl and wife, Athiya Shetty.

Watch the video here: 

A magnificent strike to get to the three figure mark, @klrahul was an absolute delight to watch 🫡🫡#TeamIndia #INDvNZ #2ndODI @IDFCfirstbank pic.twitter.com/S5ECgG49XQ

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2026

The second score after Rahul’s unbeaten 112 runs, thanks to 11 boundaries and one six at a strike rate of 121.74, remains Shubman Gill’s 56 runs in 53 balls, thanks to nine boundaries and one six. Apart from those two, most of the batters got their start but couldn’t capitalize on the innings and make it a big one.

For the Black Caps, Kristian Clarke was the peak of the bowlers with three wickets in his 8-over spell, even after being expensive for 56 runs. Their captain, Michael Bracwell, was excellent for his economical spell of 1/34 in his ten overs as India reached 284 for the loss of seven wickets in their 50 overs.

Brief Scores: India 284/7 (KL Rahul 112*, Shubman Gill 56, Kristian Clarke 3/56) vs New Zealand.

Virat Kohli made an impressive first impression on this trip by executing a classic cover shot for his first ball, taken as he walked to the wicket at number three with India's innings on the third ball of the 13th over. Kohli wasted no time in making an impact and putting pressure on the New Zealand bowlers with this shot.

New Zealand's bowler, Kristian Clarke, overpitched his delivery slightly, and Kohli took advantage of the mistake. Kohli played an excellent cover drive, putting his whole body behind the shot and using his wrists to roll the ball down through the covers with the perfect timing and placement, leading to a boundary, with the ball travelling past both the cover fielder and going to the boundary after passing through the deep sweeper. Kohli's classic cover drive and the way he has started off this innings shows his intention to dominate the game during the critical stage of play after he had come out to bat earlier on.

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The 37 Year Old Kohli has shown excellent performances recently have shown that he is full of confidence with the first shot he played. During India’s first ODI at home vs New Zealand, Kohli scored a brilliant 93 runs to win Player of the Match and gave India a 1-0 edge in the series. Earlier today, Kohli was also announced as the new number one ranked ODI batsman in the most recent ICC ODI batting rankings after scoring 785 rating points to overtake his teammate Rohit Sharma.

Watch the video here;

A shot of a man in top form! 😮‍💨🤩

The No.1 ICC ODI Batter Virat Kohli announces himself with a sublime cover drive on his very first ball! 👏🏻💪🏻#INDvNZ | 2nd ODI | LIVE NOW pic.twitter.com/d4oCSYgYwH

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 14, 2026

KL Rahul century guide India to 284/7 in their 50 overs

After New Zealand elected to bowl first, India posted a competitive total of 284 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs. Shubman Gill led the way at the top with a fluent 56, while Rohit Sharma chipped in with 24 before falling in the powerplay. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were unable to convert their starts, managing 23 and 8 respectively. The middle order, however, ensured stability, with wickets falling at regular intervals but the scoring rate being maintained through steady partnerships.

KL Rahul anchored the innings brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 112 from 92 deliveries, striking 11 fours and a six to guide India to a strong finish. He was well supported by Ravindra Jadeja, who added 27, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who contributed a quick 20. For New Zealand, Kristian Clarke was the standout bowler with three wickets, while Jamieson, Foulkes, Bracewell and Lennox chipped in with one apiece. India’s late surge helped them push past the 280 mark, setting a challenging target for the visitors.

KL Rahul played another great quality innings when India needed him most, as the right-handed batter scored his eighth ODI century to help the hosts to manage a strong challenging total on a tricky Rajkot pitch.

It is the second game of the three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand on Wednesday (January 14), where New Zealand chose to field first while trailing the series by 1-0. 

Watch: What is meaning of KL Rahul’s whistle celebration after century in IND vs NZ 2nd ODI?

KL Rahul rescued Indian team in 2nd ODI

Although Indian openers Rohit Sharma and captain Shubman Gill provided a positive start with a 70-run partnership for the first wicket, the hosts then found themselves at 118/4 by losing all top four batters, including the in-form and no.1-ranked ODI batter Virat Kohli (23).

From that pressure situation, KL Rahul strongly held the innings along with Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rahul and Jadeja (27) had a 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket, and Rahul and Nitish (20) had a 57-run partnership for the sixth wicket.  

While both of his set partners were dismissed, Rahul stayed on the crease to the final ball of the innings, putting the hosts to a strong challenging position, as India managed to score 284/7 in 50 overs, thanks to Rahul's unbeaten 112 off 92 balls with 11 fours and one six. 

KL Rahul completed eighth ODI century in 87 balls

While Rahul completed his 50 runs in 52 balls with a four, he completed his eighth ODI century with a sixer in 87 balls, which happened on the final ball of the 49th over. It was the first century in international cricket by an Indian batter in 2026. Rahul ended the innings with a four, as he led the hosts to secure 12 runs in the final over of the innings. 

𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚? 😌

KL Rahul brings up his 8️⃣th ODI century to put #TeamIndia in a strong position 💪#INDvNZ | 2nd ODI | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/mJ3SChcj3i pic.twitter.com/1zfq06ydH6

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 14, 2026

After an exciting start to the three-match ODI series, India and New Zealand are set to lock horns again in the second match on Wednesday, January 14, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The Shubman Gill-led Indian side began the series on a positive note with a convincing win in Vadodara. Winning the toss and choosing to bowl first proved to be a smart move, as India successfully chased down the target with an over to spare and four wickets in hand.

See Also: Watch: Star Indian cricketer celebrates Lohri, flies kites with singer AP Dhillon ahead of IND vs NZ 2026 T20Is

With a chance to secure the series, the Men in Blue will be keen to maintain their winning momentum in Rajkot. New Zealand, despite ending up on the losing side, put up a brave fight with both bat and ball in the opening ODI. Led by Michael Bracewell, the visitors will be eager to adapt quickly to the Rajkot conditions and bounce back strongly. A victory in this contest would level the series, making the final match even more exciting and keeping the contest wide open.

IND vs NZ, 2nd ODI: Live Streaming Details

IND vs NZ, 2nd ODI: Probable Playing XIs

India

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

New Zealand

Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wicketkeeper), Michael Bracewell (captain), Zak Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Adithya Ashok

The 2nd ODI between India and New Zealand is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot. India won the first ODI match by four wickets and led the series 1-0. New Zealand bat first and scored 300 runs in 50 overs. Daryl Mitchell scored 84 runs off 71 balls, supported by Henry Nicholls, who scored 62 runs off 69 balls. Mohammad Siraj, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna each took two wickets.

In response, India comfortably chased down the target in 49 overs. Indian superstar batsman Virat Kohli scored 93 runs off 91 balls, while Indian vice-captain Shreyas Iyer scored 49 runs off 47 balls. India's main concern was the death overs, where they conceded 88 runs in the final 10 overs, which they will work on improving for the second ODI

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IND vs NZ Match Details

• Match: India vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI

• Date: 14th January 2025

• Time: 1.30 PM IST

• Venue: Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot

• Live Streaming: FanCode

IND vs NZ Weather Report

IND vs NZ Pitch Report

The pitch at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot is highly favorable to batters and is a venue conducive to high-scoring. Fast bowlers can expect good bounce and carry due to the red soil pitch being quite similar to the one used in the last match.

Top Batters to Watch – IND vs NZ

• Virat Kohli (IND): 93 runs in this Series 

• Daryl Mitchell (NZ): 84 runs in this Series 

• Henry Nicholls (NZ): 62 runs in this Series 

Top Bowlers to Watch – IND vs NZ

• Kyle Jamieson (NZ): 4 wickets in this Series 

• Mohammad Siraj (IND): 2 wickets in this Series 

• Harshit Rana (IND): 2 wickets in this Series 

IND vs NZ Recent Form

IND vs NZ Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If IND Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 50–60

• Predicted Total: 320–350

• Match Result: IND to win

Scenario 2: If NZ Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 45–55

• Predicted Total: 260–285

• Match Result: IND to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

IND vs NZ Predicted Playing XIs

India

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

New Zealand 

Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Adithya Ashok.

IND vs NZ Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that India will win the 2nd ODI match. The likes of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will be key players to watch out for.

IND vs NZ Match FAQs