Decoding the numbers of KL Rahul in IPL
On Wednesday, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter KL Rahul slammed a 58-ball 79 in a 208-run chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The knock came in a losing cause, with LSG falling short by 14 runs and getting evicted. Nonetheless, Rahul unlocked a unique feat. He became the first player to clobber 600-plus runs in four seasons in IPL. We decode his career.
Rahul slammed six fifty-plus scores in IPL 2022
Rahul smacked six 50-plus totals in the 2022 edition of the tournament. His scores read: 68 vs SRH, 103* vs MI, 103* vs MI, 77 vs DC, 68* vs KKR, and 79 vs RCB. He had started the season with a duck against Gujarat Titans. Nonetheless, he managed 616 runs in 15 matches at 51.33. He struck at an impressive rate of 135.38.
Why does this story matter?
Rahul is one of the prolific run-getters in the cash-rich league. This season wasn't any different for the 30-year-old who crossed the 600-run mark with ease. He finished as the second-highest run-getter to RR's Jos Buttler, who has scored 718 runs at present. It was Rahul's third consecutive season with over 600 runs. He has the competence to become the leading run-scorer in IPL.
Rahul has four hundreds in IPL
The talented batter that he is, Rahul has slammed four hundreds in a tournament as intense as IPL. He shares the record with Shane Watson, Jos Buttler, and David Warner. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle have clocked five and six tons, respectively.
Rahul pummelled 670 runs in IPL 2020
So far, Rahul's best scoring season has been IPL 2020. He hoarded 670 runs in 14 matches at 55.83. He notched one hundred and five fifties. In the last edition, he concluded the tourney with 626 runs and six fifties. Not to mention, Rahul had exceptional runs in 2018 and 2019 as he compiled 659 and 593 runs, respectively.
Rahul's towering numbers in IPL
Rahul marked his IPL debut against KKR in 2013. Since then, he has made 109 appearances and racked up 3,889 runs. He has been a part of RCB (2013, 2016), SRH (2014-15), PBKS (2018-21), and now LSG. He averages a laud-worthy 48.01 and has struck at 136.21. He has 31 fifties and four hundreds under his belt.
Second-fastest to breach 3,000 runs in IPL
Rahul took 38 innings to reach the 1,000-run mark in IPL. The journey has been smooth since then. He became the third-fastest to reach 2,000 runs in the tourney (60 innings). He bettered his numbers to become the second-fastest to breach the 3,000-run mark in IPL (80 innings). He needs 111 runs in 11 innings to become the fastest to 4,000 runs in IPL.
