KL Rahul registered his name in the record books with a knock for the ages, smashing an unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings. The Delhi Capitals opener showcased why he is regarded as one of the most technically sound batters in world cricket, channelling his vintage self against his former side, where he had enjoyed some of his best seasons.
It was an innings of the highest quality, laced with precision and timing, as he became the first Indian to breach the 150-mark in IPL history. His effort powered Delhi Capitals to 262/2 in 20 overs, the highest total of the season so far. Rahul’s 152* now stands as the third-highest individual score in the tournament, placing him in an elite bracket alongside Chris Gayle (175*) and Brendon McCullum (158*). He has also moved ahead of Abhishek Sharma’s 141, underlining the scale of his achievement.
More than just the numbers, it was a statement innings. At a time when young batters are redefining T20 cricket with fearless strokeplay, Rahul reminded everyone of the value of class and composure. He paced his knock to perfection, blending aggression with control, and showed that he still has the game to match the modern tempo while keeping the younger generation on their toes.
Meanwhile, despite the record-breaking knock, Rahul admitted to having ‘mixed emotions’ as he revealed he had taken quite a beating from the scorching heat in Delhi while looking exhausted.
“I’m obviously happy. I’ve taken a beating due to the heat, just need to hydrate and recover. So it’s mixed emotions at the moment. I hope I don’t cramp later on,” Rahul told broadcasters, after receiving the Orange Cap post his 152-run* knock.
Defying the heat in Delhi’s afternoon, KL Rahul and Nitish Rana cut loose, putting on a record 220-run stand for Delhi Capitals off just 96 balls after opting to bat. It now stands as the second-highest partnership for any wicket in IPL history.
Also Read – KL Rahul enters IPL folklore! 150 club cracked, first Indian alongside Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum
Praising his partner after the record stand, Rahul credited Nitish for setting the tone early and highlighted how their approach of playing proper cricket shots, rather than slogging, kept constant pressure on the opposition throughout the innings.
“Phenomenal knock from Nitish. The way he came in and you know, I think when you can hit proper cricket shots and get boundaries in the first six overs and continue to do that, I think the bowling team feels a lot more pressure when you’re when you’re trying to hit big sixes or trying to slog, then the opposition already feels like they’re in with a chance. But when you’re playing proper cricket shots and playing merit of the ball and still getting boundaries and still being able to score over 200 strike rates, it just puts a lot of pressure on them. And I think he did that beautifully, and I think the right-hand, left-hand combination worked as well. The wicket was on the on the slower side, but I think both of us were seeing the ball really well, so we just continued batting and continued putting pressure on the bowlers,” he added.
“My strength is to play proper cricket shots”
Reflecting on his record-breaking knock, Rahul explained how he relied on his natural game and resisted premeditation for most of the innings, focusing instead on playing orthodox cricket shots to keep the pressure on the bowlers before shifting gears late on.
“I mean only towards the end was I premeditating. Early on, I think for the first 70-80 runs, I wasn’t really premeditating. I was just in a mindset to hit boundaries and put pressure on the bowlers. My strength is always to play proper cricket shots and I was trying to back that and try and believe that that’s good enough to get my team past 250 and I continued to do that. Only at the back end was I premeditating and when the field is set, when the bowlers go to the wide off-field or a spinner field, you know kind of what to expect,” he concluded.