Consistency is the hallmark of every elite batsman and ever since joining Kings XI Punjab in 2018, opener KL Rahul has shown why he’s touted as one of India’s best white ball batsmen.
Photo: SPORTZPICSIn just 26 matches for the Shers, Rahul has notched a mammoth 1179 runs at a stunning average of 56.14. While he’s considerably away from the top two, Rahul sits just 96 runs behind third place in KXIP’s all-time leading scorers in franchise history, having played 56 innings fewer.
In his two campaigns with the Shers, Rahul has smashed 11 fifties, way more than any other KXIP batsman has managed in that period, and a classy century that came at the Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai Indians this season.
His latest half century against the Sunrisers Hyderabad made him only the seventh man in the league's history to score 500 runs in back-to-back VIVO Indian Premier League campaigns. Not only has Rahul been a prolific scorer in the red and grey of Kings XI Punjab, his 1100+ runs have also come at a brisk strike rate of 145.37.
Rahul shares this landmark achievement with AB deVilliers, Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, David Warner, Virat Kohli and the great Sachin Tendulkar. The enormity of those names gives perspective to the magnitude of Rahul’s achievement.
Currently second in the race for the Orange cap behind Chris Gayle, Rahul sits 172 runs behind Warner, who has travelled back to Australia to prepare for the 2019 ICC World Cup. If KXIP are to qualify for the playoffs, Rahul needs to be the lynchpin of the Shers’ batting order.
And if he manages to score 80 more runs over what’s left of the campaign, Rahul would become only the third batsman in IPL history to manage 600 runs in back-to-back campaign.
