With his match-winning hundred, Rahul not only became the first right-handed batter to notch a century in the ongoing season, dominated thus far by left-handers, but also achieved a rare distinction. Prior to his heroics, the season’s four centuries had all come from left-handers: Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Rahul broke that streak with a dazzling 112* off 65 deliveries, marked by precision, poise, and effortless strokeplay. The Delhi Capitals opener became the first player in IPL history to score centuries for three different franchises, Punjab Kings, later Lucknow Super Giants, now Delhi.
Rahul had previously scored two centuries each for Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. His first ton came in 2019 while playing for Punjab Kings, where he scored an unbeaten 100 off 64 balls against Mumbai Indians
He followed that up in 2020 with a breathtaking 132* off 69 deliveries against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This knock remains one of the most dominant individual performances in IPL history, as Rahul dismantled the opposition with a mix of controlled aggression and effortless timing
In 2022, after moving to the newly formed Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul continued his golden run by scoring back-to-back centuries against Mumbai Indians. The first was an unbeaten 103 off 60 balls, a well-calculated and composed knock that set the tone for his season. He replicated the feat shortly after, once again scoring 103*, this time off 62 deliveries
ADVERTISEMENT
