One of the biggest changes in KL Rahul, the batsman, that was seen in IPL 2020 was his ability to go on and play a long innings. Rahul opened the innings and batted well into the death overs in several matches. On Monday, the Punjab Kings captain started his IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals from where he had left off in the UAE.
Rahul put on a show of attacking batsmanship as he led his team from the front after being asked to bat first at the Wankhede Stadium by Royals' newly appointed captain Sanju Samson.
RR vs PBKS, IPL 2021 - Live Score
Rahul made a watchful start as PBKS lost the wicket of Mayank Agarwal early to debutant Chetan Sakariya. Rahul got a lifeline when on 15 as Ben Stokes dropped him at long off in the 7th over.
The floodgates soon after as Rahul and Chris Gayle started going for their shots. Gayle was dismissed for 40 but Rahul kept getting the boundaries to keep the run rate high.
He was joined in the middle by Deepak Hooda, who was a man on a mission. The duo launched a vicious attack on Shivam Dube in the 13th over, hitting him for three sixes to score 20 runs in the over. Rahul hit a six to bring up his half-century in just 30 deliveries.
{{/usCountry}}He was joined in the middle by Deepak Hooda, who was a man on a mission. The duo launched a vicious attack on Shivam Dube in the 13th over, hitting him for three sixes to score 20 runs in the over. Rahul hit a six to bring up his half-century in just 30 deliveries.
{{/usCountry}}While Hooda hit three sixes off the next over, Rahul continued to attack the bowlers. Hooda was dismissed for 28-ball 64, but Rahul kept the big shots going.
He looked good for a century, going into the last over unbeaten on 87. He hit the impressive Chetan Sakariya for a boundary off the first delivery of the final over to raise hopes of a century, but departed of the next ball courtesy an acrobatic boundary catch by Rahul Tewatia.
His 91-run knock was studded with 7 boundaries and 5 sixes, scoring at a whopping strike-rate of 182.