Kannaur Lokesh Rahul, popularly known as KL Rahul, is an Indian international cricketer born on 18 April 1992 in Bangalore, Karnataka, and raised primarily in Mangalore.
A stylish right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper, he represents India across all formats, Karnataka in domestic cricket, and has featured for multiple teams in the Indian Premier League.
Coming from an academic family, his father Dr. K. N. Lokesh is a professor and former director at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, while his mother Rajeshwari has worked as a professor at Mangalore University.
Rahul married actress Athiya Shetty on 23 January 2023, and the couple welcomed a daughter, Evaarah, in March 2025.
Siblings
Rahul has only one sibling, an elder sister named Bhavana.
Born on 30 September 1988 in Bengaluru, she is approximately three and a half years older than her brother.
Bhavana completed her schooling at NITK English Medium School, Surathkal, earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from NMAM Institute of Technology in Deralakatte, and later pursued an MBA from the School of Management at NITK, Surathkal.
She works as a Scrum Master and Agile practitioner in the technology sector and resides in Mangalore, deliberately maintaining a private life away from the public spotlight that surrounds her brother’s cricket career.
Bhavana married Yesh Jag in February 2022.
Rahul prioritised family by withdrawing from India’s series against the West Indies to attend her wedding, underscoring their strong bond.
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Career
Rahul began playing cricket seriously around the age of 10 and progressed through age-group cricket, representing India at the Under-19 level, including the 2010 ICC Under-19 World Cup.
He made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2010-11 season and rose to prominence with consistent domestic performances, notably scoring heavily during Karnataka’s successful Ranji Trophy campaigns.
He debuted in Test cricket for India on 26 December 2014 against Australia in Melbourne.
His first Test century came shortly after in Sydney.
In limited-overs cricket, he made his ODI debut on 11 June 2016 against Zimbabwe and became the first Indian male cricketer to score a century on ODI debut, finishing unbeaten on 100.
He also debuted in T20Is on the same tour and later completed the rare feat of scoring centuries in all three international formats, achieving this faster than most players in history.
Rahul has served as a flexible top-order or middle-order batter and wicket-keeper for India, contributing significantly in major tournaments including Asia Cup triumphs, the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, where India finished as runners-up, and India’s victory in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
In the IPL, he has played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, formerly Kings XI Punjab, where he captained and won the Orange Cap in 2020 with 670 runs, Lucknow Super Giants as captain, and more recently Delhi Capitals.
He has led India in limited capacities across formats and continues to be a regular in the national side, known for high scores, consistency, and leadership roles.
Accolades
Among his notable honours, Rahul received the Arjuna Award in 2020 for outstanding sporting achievement and the Ekalavya Award from the Karnataka government the same year.
In the IPL, he claimed the Orange Cap in 2020 as the leading run-scorer.
He has been selected in various ICC Teams of the Tournament or Year, including for the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy as wicket-keeper.
Career highlights include being the first Indian to score an ODI century on debut, becoming one of the fastest to centuries across all three formats, recording the fastest World Cup century by an Indian with a 62-ball hundred against the Netherlands in 2023, and achieving multiple IPL milestones such as high individual scores and centuries for different franchises.
He has also been recognised in domestic and media awards, including Wisden India Cricketer of the Year recognition, reflecting his sustained impact on Indian cricket.
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