One of India’s talented batters, KL Rahul turns 33 today. It’s very hard to find a batter like him who can adjust to many situations, whether it’s T20, Test, or ODI formats. Not only has he seen glory in international cricket, but there was also a time when KL Rahul stormed the IPL.
He was one of the most destructive batsmen of IPL 2020, smashing sixes and fours. Since it’s KL Rahul’s birthday today and also Punjab Kings are facing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), let’s go back to the time when the “Punjabi” KL Rahul scored 132 against Kohli’s RCB.
Rahul’s unbeaten 132 destroyed RCB
The 2020 IPL was very different from the other seasons because it took place in October, right after COVID-19. It was the 6th match of the IPL, and it happened at the Dubai Cricket Stadium.
RCB chose to bowl first, and then, under KL Rahul’s captaincy, Punjab Kings (Kings XI Punjab) came to bat first. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal opened the innings for the team. As the captain, KL Rahul started the innings decently, with the team scoring 50 runs in 6 overs. However, wickets kept falling for the Punjab Kings on one side after the powerplay. Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, and Glenn Maxwell lost thier wickets. Then Karun Nair came to the crease and stayed, but also KL Rahul remained unbeaten on the other side, followed by his famous celebration.
He smashed 132 runs off 69 balls and remained unbeaten with a strike rate of 191.30. Punjab posted a score of 206 runs after losing 3 wickets in 20 overs.
RCB’s demolition
RCB had no answer to KL Rahul’s performance, as the team was under pressure and kept losing wickets. Only Washington Sundar and AB de Villiers scored more than 20 runs, with de Villiers scoring 28 and Sundar scoring 30 runs. Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, the team was bundled out at the score of 109. Punjab Kings, known as Kings XI Punjab at that time, won by 97 runs.
KL Rahul’s top score stayed for 5 years
KL Rahul’s 132 was the highest score ever by an Indian in the Indian Premier League until IPL 2025, when Abhishek Sharma broke it by scoring 141 runs against Punjab Kings recently, with a 40-ball century. KL Rahul’s score remained unbreakable for 5 years in the IPL, creating a legacy and showing how important KL Rahul is, as he kept performing for the team. Happy Birthday.
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