KL Rahul breaks Rohit's WC record with insane 62-ball century; Shreyas Iyer ends wait for ton in spectacular show vs NED

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer smashed brilliant centuries as India post a mammoth score of 410/4 in 50 overs at the 2023 World Cup.

Team India produced a solid performance in its final match of the group stage in the 2023 World Cup on Sunday, posting a mammoth score of 410/4 after opting to bat against Netherlands. Rohit Sharma's men looked on course to keep their unbeaten streak in the World Cup intact, as all of the top-5 batters posted 50+ scores; Shreyas Iyer (128*) and KL Rahul (102) breached the three-figure mark, with both posting their maiden centuries in the World Cup.

India's KL Rahul celebrates with Shreyas Iyer after reaching his century (REUTERS)

Iyer and Rahul's formidable partnership came after the top-3 of Rohit Sharma (61), Shubman Gill (51), and Virat Kohli (51) left a perfect stage for the duo to rebuild and eventually steer a strong finish in the Indian innings. And their performance was relentless, as the duo dismantled the struggling Dutch bowling attack.

Despite some grip on the ball, the Indian batters continued their impressive form and Rahul also recorded the fastest century by an Indian in World Cup's history, reaching the three-figure mark in just 62 deliveries. Interestingly, the previous record was also made in the same edition, when Rohit Sharma scored a century off 62 balls, beating Virender Sehwag's long-standing record of an 81-ball century against Bermuda in the 2007 edition.

Here's the list of fastest centuries by an India at the World Cup:

• KL Rahul vs Netherlands, 2023 - 62 balls
• Rohit Sharma vs Afghanistan, 2023 - 63 balls
• Virender Sehwag vs Bermuda, 2007 - 81 balls
• Virat Kohli vs Bangladesh, 2011 - 83 balls

Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, finally ended a wait for a century in the World Cup after coming close to the three-figure mark on a number of occasions. The Indian batter had put a defiant performance against South Africa (77) on the backdrop of criticism over his technique against the short ball, and continued on his brilliant form as he smashed a century off 84 balls.

Together, the duo of Iyer and Rahul forged a 208-run stand for the fourth wicket. Thanks to their terrific performance, India breached the 400-run mark in the final over of the match; this was only the second time when an Indian team put a 400+ score in a World Cup match. Overall, this was the fifth-highest score by a team in World Cup's history.

The target of 411 appears overwhelmingly out of reach for the Dutch team, making a triumphant exit seem highly unlikely against this dominating Indian side.