KL Rahul creates IPL history with unique 3-franchise century feat

NEW DELHI: A red-hot KL Rahul produced one of the most extraordinary innings in IPL history, hammering an unbeaten 152 to power Delhi Capitals to a massive 264/2 against Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on a scorching Saturday.On a sweltering 41-degree afternoon, Rahul tore into the PBKS bowling attack, hammering 16 fours and nine sixes in his 67-ball masterclass at a staggering strike rate of 226. His knock is now the highest individual score by an Indian batter in IPL history, surpassing several elite names, and also ranks as the third-highest overall in the tournament - behind Chris Gayle’s 175* and Brendon McCullum’s 158*.Rahul became only the third batter in IPL history to breach the 150-run mark, and just the second Indian after Tilak Varma to score 150-plus in men’s T20s.

The innings also marked his fastest IPL century, coming in just 47 balls, bettering his previous best of 56.He was brilliantly supported by Nitish Rana, who blasted 91, as the duo stitched a stunning 220-run stand off just 95 balls - now the second-highest partnership in IPL history. Their assault powered DC to their highest-ever total, with a staggering 162 runs coming in overs 11-20, one of the most explosive death-over performances seen in the league.

KL Rahul - IPL career

Rahul also rewrote franchise records, going past Rishabh Pant’s 128* to register the highest individual score for Delhi Capitals. In another remarkable feat, he became the first player in IPL history to score multiple centuries for three different teams - DC, PBKS, and Lucknow Super Giants.Among all IPL batters with over 1000 runs, Rahul’s consistency remains elite, with an average of 46.88 - second only to Sai Sudharsan.Highest individual scores by an Indian in Men’s T20s152* - KL Rahul vs PBKS, Delhi, 2026151 - Tilak Varma vs Meghalaya, Rajkot, 2024148 - Abhishek Sharma vs Bengal, Secunderabad, 2025147 - Shreyas Iyer vs Sikkim, Indore, 2019146* - Punit Bisht vs Mizoram, Chennai, 2021Most runs in the IPL8989 - Virat Kohli7183 - Rohit Sharma6769 - Shikhar Dhawan6565 - David Warner5579 - KL Rahul5528 - Suresh Raina5439 - MS DhoniOf the 109 batters with 1000-plus IPL runs, only Sai Sudharsan has a higher average (47.16) than Rahul’s 46.88.Most runs in Overs 11-20 in an IPL inns172/2 - RCB vs GL, Bengaluru, 2016162/2 - PBKS vs CSK, Cuttack, 2014162/1 - DC vs PBKS, Delhi, 2026Highest individual scores in the 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 is the second Indian to register a 150-plus score in Men’s T20 cricket, after Tilak Varma, who’d scored 151 for Hyderabad against Meghalaya in Rajkot in 2024/25.Highest partnerships in the IPL (any wicket)229 - AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli vs GL, Bengaluru, 2016220 - KL Rahul & Nitish Rana vs PBKS, Delhi, 2026215* - AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli vs MI, Mumbai WS, 2015210* - KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock vs KKR, Mumbai DYP, 2022210 - Sai Sudharsan & Shubman Gill vs CSK, Ahmedabad, 2024