KL Rahul becomes first Indian to enter 150-club in IPL, etches name alongside Chris Gayle & Brendon McCullum
KL Rahul became the first Indian to score 150-plus in the history of IPL. In just 67 balls, Rahul finished at 152 not out, the third highest in IPL. Riding on Rahul's knock, Delhi Capitals posted a mammoth 264/2 in 20 overs.
KL Rahul cracked the 150-club in Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday as the Delhi Capitals batter grabbed two dropped opportunities with both hands to be notch the highest score by an Indian in the tournament's history. Rahul, opening the batting, ended at 152 not out in just 67 balls, studded with 16 fours and nine sixes at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Coming into the crease after an early fall of Pathum Nissanka, Rahul turned what was an rescue act to a personal milestone. During his time in the crease, Nitish Rana to gave Rahul perfect support at the other end with a knock of 91 off 44 balls, including 11 fours and four sixes. The duo added 220 runs for the second wicket - the second-highest partnerships in the IPL.
Only Chris Gayle (175) and Brendon McCullum (158) are ahead of Rahul in the list of highest individual scores in IPL. In the process, Rahul scored his sixth IPL hundred, thus going on level with Gayle and also moved to sixth position in the all-time scorer's tally, going past legendary MS Dhoni.
Records galore for KL Rahul in IPL
The right-handed opener brought up his century in just 47 balls, bringing up Delhi Capitals' fastest-ever century in IPL, outdoing Virender Sehwag and Quinton de Kock's 48-ball hundreds in 2011 and 2016, respectively. This was also the fastest of Rahul's six IPL hundreds, with the previous fastest being a 56-ball ton against the Mumbai Indians in 2022.
Rahul now also holds the highest score for Delhi Capitals in IPL history, outdoing Rishabh Pant's 128 out out against Sunrisers Hyderabad made back in 2018. The Karnataka-born batter now has the joint-most hundreds by a Delhi Capitals batter (2) alongside Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner.
The Delhi Capitals opener also became the first player in IPL history to score multiple tons for three different teams, as per a stat from CricViz, with two centuries each for Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. He has also overtaken Tilak Varma's 151 against Meghalaya last season to get the highest individual score by an Indian in men's T20Is.
IPL 2026 Orange Cap goes to KL Rahul
With this knock, KL Rahul overtook Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma to snatch the Orange Cap with 357 runs in seven innings at an average of 59.50 and a strike rate of over 187. He has also overtaken CSK legend MS Dhoni (5,528 runs) to become the fifth-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 5,579 runs in 152 matches and 143 innings at an average of 46.88 and a strike rate of 138.37, including six centuries and 42 fifties.
Coming to the match, Delhi Capitals won the toss and opted to bat first. After losing Pathum Nissanka (11) early, a record-breaking double hundred stand between Rahul and Rana helped Delhi Capitals past 250-run mark.
Catch the live updates from IPL 2026 with the complete IPL 2026 Schedule and the IPL 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts in IPL 2026 Orange Cap and IPL 2026 Purple Cap.
About the Author
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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