New Delhi, April 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) KL Rahul etched his name in the record books by smashing an unbeaten 152 - the highest score by an Indian batter in IPL’s history - to power Delhi Capitals to a mammoth 264/2 against a listless Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.
Rahul’s 67-ball masterclass was all about sublime strokeplay fetching him 16 fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 226, thus making him only the third batter in the tournament’s history after Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum to cross the 150-run mark. His monumental effort, combined with a blistering 91 from Nitish Rana, as the duo shared a massive 220-run stand off 95 balls propelled DC to their highest-ever IPL total on a sweltering 41-degree day.
PBKS were left to rue a nightmarish performance with the ball and in the field, headlined by Shashank Singh dropping Rahul when he was on just 12. Rahul ensured he made PBKS pay dearly for that reprieve, as the whole stadium reverberated with chants of his name.
Rahul has now become the first player in IPL history to score multiple centuries for three different franchises. His 47-ball hundred is also the fastest ton of his IPL career. Rana, meanwhile, was equally destructive, hitting 11 fours and four sixes in his 44-ball stay to hit his second fifty on the trot.
After DC elected to bat first under scorching heat, Pathum Nissanka (11) got the scoreboard moving with a flicked boundary off Arshdeep Singh, while Rahul kickstarted his innings by dispatching Xavier Bartlett through a drive and flick to get consecutive boundaries.
However, Arshdeep provided the breakthrough for PBKS in the third over - after seeing Rahul dropped on 12 by Shashank Singh, he dismissed Nissanka, who top-edged a pull to wicketkeeper. The setback did little to slow DC's momentum as Rahul finished the over with a massive pulled six over deep mid-wicket.
With Nitish Rana hitting four boundaries in his first ten balls, Rahul continued his aggressive approach – pulling Vyshak Vijaykumar and Marco Jansen for six and four, as DC ended power-play at 68/1, their highest score in this phase of the game in IPL 2026.
After launching Yuzvendra Chahal over long-on for a maximum, Rahul reached his fifty in 26 deliveries with a brace off Vyshak in the 10th over. He celebrated the feat by ending the over with a loft over the bowler’s head for a boundary to bring up DC’s hundred.
Rahul’s onslaught continued as he danced down the track to smash Chahal for two successive boundaries. Rana, meanwhile, shifted gears in sensational fashion to bring up his fifty off 29 balls. He reached the milestone with back-to-back scooped boundaries off an off-colour Bartlett, apart from pulling and thumping for two fours and swivelling and lofting for as many maximums – as 28 runs came off the 12th over.
Rahul showed no mercy as after lofting Marcus Stoinis for a sensational six, he dismantled Arshdeep for three fours and a six - showcasing a range of shots from scoop to drive and smacks down the ground - that left the PBKS fielders mere spectators.
Rahul eventually reached his century in 47 balls by punching Jansen down the ground for a boundary. Upon reaching the milestone, Rahul celebrated with his signature 'X' gesture as fans rose to their feet to applaud a splendid knock.
Rahul showed no signs of slowing down after crossing his century – carting Vyshak for three sixes and a boundary on full tosses in a 24-run over that also saw DC cruise past the 200-run mark. Rana survived a major scare in the 17th over when Marcus Stoinis completed a spectacular sliding catch at the square leg boundary.
But after multiple replays, third umpire Swaroopanand Kannur ruled that Stoinis’ boot had made contact with the boundary rope, resulting in a six instead of a dismissal. Rahul continued the carnage by clearing his front leg to smack Jansen over long-off for his eighth six of the evening, before carting him for another boundary.
Rana pulled Bartlett for a six and four to move into the 90s, before mistiming an inside-out lofted drive on a full-toss and was caught by extra cover taking a stunning one-handed catch. Rahul then scooped and upper cut for two boundaries to get past 150 and ensured DC ended their innings on a high.
Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 264/2 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 152 not out, Nitish Rana 91; Arshdeep Singh 1-49, Xavier Bartlett 1-69) against Punjab Kings
Source: IANS
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