KL Rahul produced a commanding batting performance versus Punjab Kings, striking a brilliant century to mark his sixth IPL hundred. The Delhi Capitals opener reached the landmark in only 47 deliveries, timing the ball to the fence 12 times and clearing the ropes on five occasions in a display that quickly tilted the game in his team’s favour.
Yet the innings might have ended far sooner. Rahul received two clear chances in the early phase—first on 12, when Shashank Singh let him slip, and then again on 51 after Vijaykumar Vyshak failed to take a return catch off his own bowling. Punjab Kings, despite those reprieves, struggled to contain Rahul as he converted the missed opportunities into a statement innings.
At the time of writing, Rahul was still unbeaten and had built a dominant 180-plus stand with Nitish Rana, who was also going well on 72 not out. Together, the two batters took full control of the contest, leaving Delhi Capitals in a powerful position as the pressure mounted on Punjab’s bowlers.
Record-breaking partnership
- The unbeaten 185-run partnership between KL Rahul and Nitish Rana has become the highest for any wicket in IPL history between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings.
- That mark surpasses the previous best of 146 runs, set by Virender Sehwag and David Warner back in 2011.
- The stand also goes past the two separate 106-run partnerships recorded in 2015.
Rahul’s century also moved him further up the all-time IPL batting charts. With this knock, he now sits on six IPL centuries, drawing level with Chris Gayle and closing the gap on the top of the list where Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler are ahead.
Alongside the runs, Rahul added another notable milestone. He has now registered multiple IPL hundreds for three different franchises—having previously achieved the feat with Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants before adding Delhi Capitals to the list. No other player in IPL history has managed to reach that particular combination.
IPL hundreds tally (as referenced)
- 8 — Virat Kohli
- 7 — Jos Buttler
- 6 — Chris Gayle
- 6 — KL Rahul
- 5 — Sanju Samson
