KL Rahul Played a historic innings for Delhi Capitals, becoming the first Indian batsman to score 150 runs in the IPL, when he scored an unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings in Delhi. The innings now stands as the third highest individual score in the history of the tournament behind Chris Gayle’s 175* and Brendon McCullum’s 158.Highest Individual Score in IPL175* – Chris Gayle (RCB) vs PWI, Bengaluru, 2013158* – Brendon McCullum (KKR) v RCB, Bengaluru, 2008152* – KL Rahul (DC) v PBKS, Delhi, 2026141 – Abhishek Sharma (SRH) vs PBKS, Hyderabad, 2025140* – Quinton de Kock (KKR) vs LSG, Mumbai DYP, 2022 Rahul’s effort was not just about the numbers, but how he made them. Given two early reprieve, he paid Punjab Kings in full. He was dropped first on 12 and then on 51 by Shashank Singh and from there the opener took complete control of the contest. By the end of the innings, those missed opportunities turned into one of the costliest mistakes in IPL history. Despite Delhi losing Patham Nissanka early, Rahul looked brilliant from the start. He soon found the perfect companion. Nitish RanaAnd both of them put on a brilliant display of batting together. The pair added 220 runs for the second wicket, the highest in Delhi Capitals’ history and the second-highest stand for any wicket in the IPL, behind only ABD Villiers and Virat Kohli’s 229-run stand in 2016. Their partnership also eclipsed the previous best partnership for Delhi Capitals, which was an unbeaten 189-run stand between David Warner and Naman Ojha in 2012. Rahul and Rana’s effort came off just 96 balls, underscoring the sheer dominance displayed by a struggling Punjab attack. Rahul led the charge with 14 fours and 9 sixes, en route to the fastest century of his IPL career. His previous fastest century was scored in 56 balls against Mumbai Indians in 2022, but this time he went one step further and converted it into a record-breaking score of 150-plus. In the process, he also set a new benchmark for Delhi Capitals, surpassing Rishabh Pant’s 128 not out at the same venue in 2018 to register the franchise’s highest individual score. At the other end, Rana played an exemplary supporting role, scoring 91 runs with 11 fours and four sixes. The two combined to take Delhi Capitals to 264 for 2 in 20 overs, leaving Punjab Kings a tough chase.
