KL Rahul slams his third IPL century: Decoding his numbers
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul smashed a blistering 103* off 60 deliveries against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 26th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. It was his third century in the cash-rich league. His magnificent knock powered LSG to 199/4 in 20 overs. In the process, he also raced past 3,500 runs in IPL. Here, we decode his numbers.
Rahul's 103* shreds MI's bowling attack into pieces
Rahul rapped 15 runs off Tymal Mills in the fifth over. He then played cautiously before changing gears. From 31 off 24 balls, Rahul raced to his 29th IPL fifty in 33 deliveries. The opener then dished out boundaries at frequent intervals. He racked up his third IPL hundred in 56 deliveries. His knock was laced with nine fours and five sixes.
Why does this story matter?
It was Rahul's 100th match in IPL. And, what better way to celebrate the occasion than stamp note-worthy numbers versus one of his favored rivals in the tournament. His 103* is now the highest score by a player in their 100th match in IPL. He is also the first centurion for the Super Giants. Clearly, there's no stopping the batting maestro this season.
Rahul has two hundreds as a captain in IPL
It was Rahul's third ton in the cash-rich tournament. However, it was his second as a captain in IPL. Rahul has become only the second player after Virat Kohli (5) to score multiple tons as a captain in the power-packed tournament. In 2020, then PBKS skipper Rahul had smashed 132* versus RCB. And now, as LSG skipper, Rahul clobbered 103* against MI.
Rahul joins an elite list of cricketers
Rahul has become only the fourth cricketer to score two centuries against an opponent in IPL. He has joined the likes of Chris Gayle (vs Punjab Kings), David Warner (vs Kolkata Knight Riders), and Virat Kohli (vs Gujarat Lions) in this regard.
Rahul's numbers versus Mumbai Indians in IPL
Rahul loves facing the five-time winners. As per Cricketpedia, the Karnataka-born has scored 764 runs in 15 innings against the Mumbai-based franchise. He averages a mind-boggling 76.40. He has struck at 132.63. Rahul has clobbered two hundreds and five fifties. His knocks of 103* and 100* rank fifth and sixth, respectively (highest individual scores by a player against MI in IPL).
Rahul's stupendous numbers in IPL 2022
Rahul has slammed 235 runs in six innings this season. The stylish opener is second only to RR batter Jos Buttler (235) among the leading run-getters in the tournament underway. Rahul has averaged 47.00 and has struck at 144.17. He has a hundred and a fifty each. His inning-wise performance read 0, 40, 68, 24, 0, and 103*.
A look at Rahul's eye-popping numbers in IPL
Rahul has whacked 3,508 runs across 100 matches in the tournament. He averages a sensational 47.40 and has a strike rate of 136.87. He has pummeled three hundreds and 28 fifties. Rahul has pinned down 300 fours and 144 sixes. He clocked his highest score in IPL (132*) against RCB in 2020.
