KL Rahul Shatters Records with Stunning 152* in IPL Match
KL Rahul's Record-Breaking Performance
Former Indian cricket stars Mohammed Kaif and Irfan Pathan praised KL Rahul for his remarkable consistency and 'selflessness' after he scored an impressive 152* for Delhi Capitals (DC) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Saturday.
In a spectacular display, KL Rahul became only the third player in IPL history to reach 150 runs in a single innings, following Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. His innings of 152* came off just 67 balls, featuring 16 fours and nine sixes, achieving a strike rate exceeding 226.
'Selfless and Consistent': Praise from Kaif and Pathan
On social media platform X, Kaif highlighted KL's versatility, noting his various roles for both the national team and his IPL franchises, calling him a 'selfless cricketer.'
"KL Rahul, zero complaints, Opening in Test, slip catcher, stand-in skipper, wicket-keeper, finisher in ODIs. And now scores 152 off just 67 balls, becoming the third highest run scorer in IPL history after Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. What a selfless cricketer," he tweeted.
Irfan Pathan also commended KL's consistent performance in the IPL, noting his impressive strike rate of nearly 187 this season, which is his highest to date. "Every year same story for KL Rahul. Super hit story," he tweeted.
A Series of Records for KL Rahul
KL Rahul's 150 runs make him the third batsman to achieve this milestone in IPL, following Chris Gayle's 175 and Brendon McCullum's 158*. He surpassed Abhishek Sharma's previous record of 141* for the highest score by an Indian in IPL.
He reached his century in just 47 balls, marking the fastest century for DC in IPL history, breaking the previous record held by Virender Sehwag and Quinton de Kock, who scored their centuries in 48 balls.
Rahul now holds the record for the highest score for DC in IPL, surpassing Rishabh Pant's 128* from 2018. He shares the record for the most centuries by a DC player (2) with Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner.
Additionally, he is the first player in IPL history to score multiple centuries for three different teams, with two centuries each for DC, PBKS, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
KL also set a new benchmark for the highest individual score by an Indian in men's T20Is, overtaking Tilak Varma's 151 against Meghalaya last season.
Currently, KL Rahul leads the Orange Cap race with 357 runs in seven innings, averaging 59.50 and boasting a strike rate over 187, including one century and two fifties. He has surpassed MS Dhoni to become the fifth-highest run-scorer in IPL history, amassing 5,579 runs in 152 matches.
Match Overview
In the match, DC won the toss and chose to bat first. After an early loss of Pathum Nissanka (11), KL Rahul and Nitish Rana (91* off 44 balls) formed a record-breaking 220-run partnership, leading DC to a total of 264/2 in 20 overs. Xavier Bartlett (1/69) and Arshdeep Singh (1/48) took wickets but struggled against DC's aggressive batting, with Vijaykumar Vyshak conceding 48 runs in just three overs.