KL Rahul has been one of IPL's most consistent batters in the last decade. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper, has been a journey-man throughout his IPL career. Until 2023, KL Rahul held the record of scoring the fastest half-century in IPL - a record which he set in 2018.
It must be noted that KL Rahul is yet to win the IPL though.
KL Rahul debuted in the Indian Premier League in 2013, with local franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru). Rahul has been a part of four IPL franchises, in five different stints - RCB, SRH, RCB (second stint), PBKS, and LSG.
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In an IPL career spanning over a decade, KL Rahul has had his fair share of criticism. His most common criticism, has been his strike-rate. Over the years, KL Rahul has never been the most aggressive of batters,
Moreover, the 32-year-old has preferred to play the anchor role for his teams. Being the captain over the past years, Rahul has also had the added responsibility to always deliver with the bat.
KL Rahul was dismissed for a 41-ball 55, in LSG's final group stage game of IPL 2024. On a batting surface like Wankhede, Rahul failed to up the gears, as LSG went on to score 214 in their 20 overs, after batting first.
KL Rahul has also failed to make the cut for India's squad for the upcoming World Cup. The fans and critics have touted Strike-Rate and lack of aggression to be KL Rahul's biggest enemies in T20 cricket.
As critics fail to cut any slack towards KL Rahul's strike-rate, The Sporting News analyses his metric numbers over his decade-long IPL career.
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What is KL Rahul's IPL strike-rate since his debut?
| Year | Matches | Runs | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | Playoff finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5 | 20 | 16 | 125.00 | No |
| 2014 | 11 | 166 | 164 | 101.21 | No |
| 2015 | 9 | 142 | 126 | 112.69 | No |
| 2016 | 14 | 397 | 271 | 146.49 | Yes |
| 2018 | 14 | 659 | 416 | 158.41 | No |
| 2019 | 14 | 593 | 438 | 135.38 | No |
| 2020 | 14 | 670 | 518 | 129.34 | No |
| 2021 | 13 | 626 | 451 | 138.80 | No |
| 2022 | 15 | 616 | 455 | 135.38 | Yes |
| 2023 | 9 | 274 | 242 | 113.22 | Yes |
| 2024 | 14 | 520 | 381 | 136.48 | TBD |
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What is KL Rahul's IPL record?
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | 123 | 4683 | 45.47 | 134.61 | 37 | 4 | 132 |
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