Ahead of the clash against Punjab Kings, KL Rahul needed just 13 runs to surpass MS Dhoni on the all-time IPL run-scorers list. He achieved the milestone in style, bringing it up with a crisp boundary to move past the Chennai Super Kings legend and climb to sixth place. KL Rahul gets a life as Shashank Singh drops another catch off Arshdeep Singh, allowing a boundary.
Dhoni, one of the league’s all-time greats, has scored 5,439 runs in 278 matches (242 innings) at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties, with a highest score of 84*.
Meanwhile KL Rahul currently batting against Punjab Kings have crossed Dhoni’s record in 152 matches, 5462* runs.
Rahul, meanwhile, had already accumulated 205 runs in six innings this season at an impressive strike rate of 166.67, including two half-centuries, with a best of 92. His tally will grow further following the match against Punjab Kings. The Indian opener has also overtaken Dhoni in another key metric, most 50-plus scores as a designated wicketkeeper-batter in IPL history. Rahul now has 31 such scores, compared to Dhoni’s 24.
Next on Rahul’s radar is Suresh Raina, who sits fifth on the all-time list with 5,528 runs.
Delhi Capitals make a strong start, reaching 68/1 in the powerplay. KL Rahul leads the charge with 35 off 16, early boundaries and survives a dropped catch by Shashank Singh, while Pathum Nissanka departs for 11. Bowlers Marco Jansen and Vyshak Vijaykumar prove expensive, While Arshdeep gets a wicket.
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar