KL Rahul's decision to play the India A vs England Lions has paid rich dividends. Batting at the top in the 2nd unofficial Test, KL Rahul batted a stunning century to set up the visitors in Northampton. The India opener journeyed to England after getting knocked out of IPL 2025 and seized the moment against an England Lions bowling attack. KL Rahul demonstrated his worth as the seniormost Indian batter in the second India A vs England Lions match at Northampton. The 33-year-old spearheaded the resistance with a brilliant century, silencing doubters before the IND vs ENG Tests. Losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran early, Rahul dug in along with long-time state partner Karun Nair. Rahul was patient, playing on merit, constructing his innings with caution. With Chris Woakes in fine nick, the Indian opener was confident on his strokeplay. At the Lunch interval, Rahul had scored just 26 off 58 balls, playing out time with minimal display of intent. Also Read | CLT20 Comeback? ECB Supports World Club Championship Plan After Lunch, the Karnataka star played a bit more freely, exploiting loose balls. Rahul lost Karun Nair after lunch but continued his work, knitting a crucial partnership with vice-captain Dhruv Jurel. He hit 102 balls for his half-century. He pulled Farhan Ahmed over the boundary for a six, and was finally remaining on 93 at Tea. Rahul hit 42 runs off the last 29 deliveries before the interval, displaying his talent to shift gear effortlessly. Pressure on Rahul Ahead of India-England Series Rahul is the most experienced batsman in the Indian team after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements. He will bat at in the order with Yashasvi Jaiswal and will have giant boots to fill in the new WTC Cycle. The 33-year-old was India's third-highest run-getter on the last tour, including a century in Lord's. He would look to lead by example for India in the series, and recreate his heroics of 2021/22.