The second Test of the series will be played at SSC Colombo from August 23.
KL Rahul was once the junior-most player in the Indian team when he made his India Test debut in 2014 during the Australia tour. And now he finds himself as one of the senior-most players in the Indian team in 2026.
Over the years, his job has naturally changed, and Rahul is aware that it is his duty to mentor the upcoming generation of Indian celebrities as they embark on their careers.
However, Rahul also thinks that learning from younger colleagues shouldn't be hindered by seniority or experience. He said that there is no hierarchy controlling who can ask for advice from whom and that India's Test dressing room is still an open forum for discussion and education.
Regardless of age or experience, he argued, all players have an obligation to assist a teammate. He cited his personal experience with the Indian squad, where even after playing just 20 or 30 games, players with 60 or 70 Tests were eager to learn from him.
“I think it’s every player’s responsibility to help another player out, whether you’re older or someone who’s just 26 but has played 20 Tests. It’s everybody’s responsibility to help your fellow teammates. Even when we had players who played 60-70 Test matches and I only played 20 or 30 Test matches, there was no shame or ego in players to say, 'I can’t learn something from you' or to say, 'He's played so many Test matches, so I can’t go and talk to him. ' So it’s always been an open dressing room, and people are learning from each other," Rahul said after India’s Galle Test win.
Rahul added that though the players and management of the Indian team have changed, the approach has continued. Senior players can learn from the newcomers, though their methods and techniques might differ.
“I might learn a thing or two from a newer player. Now, I speak to Jaiswal about sweeping and reverse sweeping and what he thinks, and he’ll share his thoughts," Rahul said, referring to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rahul also stated that conversations in the Indian dressing room are centred on specific challenges in Tests, like how to handle swing and seam or how to play extreme pace.
“Their mindset is slightly different to mine, and mine might be slightly different to someone else's. So, it’s just what has always happened, not just in this change room. You’re only talking about how I can play swing, how I can play seam bowling, or how you face someone who’s bowling at 150 km/h. Just the chat is constant, so you learn so much,” Rahul said.
The second Test between Sri Lanka and India will be played from August 23 onwards at the SSC Ground in Colombo.
(ANI inputs)