Lucknow Super Giants opener and captain KL Rahul plundered his third IPL ton – and second against Mumbai Indians on Saturday at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday.
This was a special game for Rahul as it was his 100th IPL match! KL Rahul today became the first player in the history of the IPL to smash a century in his 100th IPL game.
Before joining LSG, Rahul had played 20 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad, 19 for Royal Challengers Bangalore and 55 for Punjab Kings. Rahul’s overall IPL numbers now read: 100 matches, 91 innings, 3508 runs, average of 47.41, strike rate of 136. Elite.
Drafted in for 17 crore before the mega-auction, this was his first century for Lucknow- a knock of 103* runs from 60 balls, including 9 classy boundaries and 5 hard-hit sixes. Playing half the amount of balls in the innings, Rahul scored a little over half the total runs LSG managed, 199.
Kaptaan sahaab, @rahulkl came to play! ?
What a solid knock!#AbApniBaariHai?#IPL2022 #MIvsLSG pic.twitter.com/7KixVLaimZ— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 16, 2022
KL Rahul likes playing against the Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians: he had started the game with an average of 66 versus the five-time champions; that average further bloated today to 76 after an unbeaten century.
Speaking about his exquisite knock, Rahul didn’t waste any time getting off the blocks: he started off the innings with a second-ball boundary to off-spinner Tilak Varma before toning himself down as Quinton de Kock scored briskly at the other end. The right-hander then tore into Tymal Mills, smashing the Englishman for a couple of fours and a six.
Even as the field restrictions were lifted, he climbed into Jaydev Unadkat and Murugan Ashwin, hammering them for a six each. After reaching his fifty, Rahul upped the ante, with a spate of boundaries and sixes to Mills and Fabian Allen, both of whom dished out some poor balls which Rahul duly scored off. And though MI bowlers managed to tie the LSG captain down in the death overs, he got his century with a boundary off Mills.
