KL Rahul's name went into IPL record books as the quickest player to reach 5000 runs in the league. The wicket-keeper batsman achieved the remarkable milestone in Delhi Capitals' emphatic eight-wicket win over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday.
Rahul achieved the milestone of 5000 runs in just 130 innings, breaking records of David Warner (135 innings), Virat Kohli (157), AB de Villiers (161), and Shikhar Dhawan (168), making him one of the league's top performers.
Facing his former side—one he had once captained during the early stages of the 2024 season before he departed following an acrimonious parting with the franchise owner—Rahul had a measured but commanding innings. He was unbeaten on 57 off 44 balls, taking Delhi to an easy win.
He played calmly in a desperate time against spinners Aiden Markram, Digvesh Rathi, and Ravi Bishnoi. Rahul broke free from shackles with a powerful sweep off Bishnoi for six over deep mid-wicket and complemented that with one more six against Markram in the next over.
The classy right-hander reached his fifty off 40 deliveries, a innings comprising three boundaries and three sixes. Along with Axar Patel, he dominated the LSG bowlers in the latter stages, ultimately sealing the game in the presence of a thunderous six off Prince Yadav.
Rahul's fantastic performance this year continues to stun. He became the fastest Indian to have recorded 200 sixes in the history of IPL recently. Just Andre Russell and Chris Gayle have achieved the feat earlier with 69 and 97 innings respectively.
At a strike rate of 155.67—his second-best in 12 IPL seasons—Rahul has emerged as Delhi Capitals' pillar. He has scored 359 runs in eight innings till now, steadying the team's batting with stability and consistency.
His best performance this season was against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where his 93 not out took Delhi to a six-wicket victory. Significantly, he had sat out the team's first match to be present for the birth of his first child with his family.
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