Delhi Capitals’ KL Rahul celebrates his century (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) KL Rahul produced a historic knock for Delhi Capitals to become the first Indian batsman to score 150 in the IPL as he smashed an unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings in Delhi. The innings is now the third highest individual score in the history of the tournament, behind only Chris Gayle’s 175* and Brendon McCullum’s 158.Highest individual score in IPL175* – Chris Gayle (RCB) vs PWI, Bengaluru, 2013158* – Brendon McCullum (KKR) vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2008152* – KL Rahul (DC) vs PBKS, Delhi, 2026141 – Abhishek Sharma (SRH) vs PBKS, Hyderabad, 2025140* – Quinton de Kock (KKR) vs LSG, Mumbai DYP, 2022Rahul’s effort was not just about the numbers but how he built it. With two early reprieve, he made the Punjab kings pay in full. First, Shashank Singh dropped him for 12 and then again for 51, and from there the opener took complete control of the contest. By the end of the innings, those missed chances turned into one of the costliest mistakes in IPL history.
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“We didn’t play good cricket” – Mahela Jayawardene after MI’s biggest IPL loss vs CSKFrom the start, Rahul looked sublime despite Delhi losing Pathum Nissanko early. He soon found a perfect partner in Nitish Rana and together they put on a stunning display of batting. The pair added 220 runs for the second wicket, which is the highest partnership in Delhi Capitals’ history and the second highest for any wicket in the IPL, behind only AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli’s 229 runs in 2016.Their partnership also surpassed the previous best for Delhi Capitals, which was an unbeaten stand of 189 between David Warner and Naman Ojha in 2012. Rahul and Rana’s effort came off just 96 balls, underscoring the utter dominance they displayed over the struggling Punjab attack.Rahul led the charge with 14 fours and nine sixes, bringing up the fastest century of his IPL career. His previous fastest hundred came off 56 balls against Mumbai Indians in 2022, but this time he went a step further to convert it into a record 150+ score. In the process, he also set a new benchmark for Delhi Capitals by going past Rishabh Pant’s 2018 not out at the same venue of 128 to register the franchise’s highest individual score.At the other end, Rana played an ideal supporting role as she finished with 91 after hitting 11 boundaries and four sixes. Together they chased Delhi Capitals to a massive 264 in 2 for 20 overs, leaving Punjab Kings with a daunting chase.
