KL Rahul — full name Kannanur Lokesh Rahul — is now one of the most high-profile and recognisable faces in Indian cricket, and a regular pillar of the Test, ODI and T20 sides for his country.
The top-order batter, 30, is also an experienced operator in the Indian Premier League, now approaching his 10th anniversary since making his debut back in 2013.
Here is all you need to know about Rahul's IPL career, stats and top performances ahead of the 2023 tournament getting under way.
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KL Rahul IPL team
Unlike some of his colleagues in the India national sides — such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — Rahul is not a 'one-franchise player'. He's changed teams a few times since making his IPL debut way back in 2013 for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The opener played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2014 and 2015 seasons before returning to RCB for 2016. He missed the 2017 season through injury but was bought by the Punjab Kings for 2018, before switching to Lucknow Super Giants for their debut campaign in 2022.
He will again play for the Super Giants in 2023 as their captain.
Kaptaan KL always has time for his #LSGBrigade 🥰#LucknowSuperGiants | #LSG pic.twitter.com/rxVJoSf0XY
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) March 8, 2023
Has KL Rahul ever won the IPL?
Despite being one of the most prolific run-scorers in IPL history, Rahul has never won the title. He was part of the RCB side that reached the final in 2016 but lost out by an agonising eight runs to his former franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad that year.
KL Rahul IPL stats
KL Rahul's IPL stats are as impressive as anyone's.
His top score of 132 not out is among the five biggest individual totals ever amassed by a batter in the tournament, while nobody can top Rahul's IPL career average, which is in excess of 48. He's on course to become one of the heaviest run-scorers in the history of the Indian Premier League.
| Matches | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 3896 | 132* | 48.01 | 136.22 | 31 | 4 | 165 |
KL Rahul IPL history
Despite having never won the tournament, on an individual level in the IPL few can compete with Rahul and the heights he is hitting.
He holds the record for joint-fastest 50 in the competition (with Pat Cummins) after his rapid half-century in 2018 against Delhi, which came off just 14 balls.
Rahul has also been among the competition's top five run-scorers in every year since 2019. He scored 593 runs that year, then followed it with 670 in the 2020 season (the highest of anyone), 626 in 2021 and 616 for his new franchise Lucknow Super Giants in 2022.
The pressure is on for Rahul to continue setting such remarkably high standards. He scored two centuries as LSG skipper last year to lead the new franchise to a respectable third place and playoff finish in their debut season.
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KL Rahul IPL schedule
Rahul will need all his nous, batting prowess and captaincy experience to lead the Super Giants to a first ever IPL crown in 2023.
Here is the full group schedule that Rahul and his LSG teammates will have to negotiate this season.
Lucknow Super Giants 2023 IPL schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| April 1 | Delhi Capitals (H) | LSG won by 50 runs |
| April 3 | Chennai Super Kings (A) | — |
| April 7 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (H) | — |
| April 10 | Royal Challengers Bangalore (A) | — |
| April 15 | Punjab Kings (H) | — |
| April 19 | Rajasthan Royals (A) | — |
| April 22 | Gujarat Titans (H) | — |
| April 28 | Punjab Kings (A) | — |
| May 1 | Royal Challengers Bangalore (H) | — |
| May 4 | Chennai Super Kings (H) | — |
| May 7 | Gujarat Titans (A) | — |
| May 13 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (A) | — |
| May 16 | Mumbai Indians (H) | — |
| May 21 | Kolkata Knight Riders (A) | — |
*All teams play 14 games, not all sides play each other both home and away.
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