On Saturday, KL Rahul, a batter for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) team, achieved a significant milestone in his Indian Premier League (IPL) career by completing 4,000 runs. The match where he reached this milestone took place at his team’s home stadium, Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where LSG was playing against Punjab Kings (PBKS).
KL Rahul had been struggling with his form in previous matches, but in this game, he managed to score 74 runs off 56 balls, including eight fours and a six, at a strike rate of 132.14.
He has played for Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and currently LSG in his IPL career, which spans over 114 matches, during which he has scored 4,044 runs at an average of 47.02 and a strike rate of 135.16.
Additionally, he has recorded four centuries and 32 fifties with his best individual score being 132 not out. Notably, his average of 47.02 is the highest among any batter in the history of IPL.
KL Rahul is not only the highest averaging batter but also the fastest batter to reach the 4000-run milestone, achieving the feat in just 105 innings. In comparison, other accomplished players such as Chris Gayle took 112 innings, David Warner took 114 innings, Virat Kohli took 128 innings, and AB de Villiers took 131 innings to reach this milestone.
KL Rahul’s most successful IPL season with the bat was during the 2020 season with Punjab Kings, where he scored 670 runs in 14 matches, with an impressive average of 55.83. During that tournament, he recorded one century and five fifties, and his runs came at a strike rate of 129.34. His best score in the tournament was 132 not out. His remarkable performance earned him the prestigious ‘Orange Cap’ for scoring the most runs in the tournament.