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Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul surpassed Chennai Super Kings icon MS Dhoni to become the player with the most fifty-plus scores in the history of the Indian Premier League as a designated wicketkeeper.
Rahul showed a glimpse of returning to his former self during LSG's 8-wicket win over CSK on Friday, since returning from an injury that ruled him out of the four Test matches against England earlier this year. This marked Rahul's 25th fifty-plus score as a designated wicketkeeper, which took him past MS Dhoni's tally of 24. His LSG compatriot Quinton de Kock, who showed his class against CSK, is in the third spot with 23 fifty-plus scores in the IPL as a designated wicketkeeper. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's standout player, Dinesh Karthik, features in the fourth spot with a tally of 21. While former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa, who played for the Rajasthan Royals and MI, has 18 fifty-plus scores under his belt. Before his fiery knock of 82(53) against the Chennai Super Kings, Rahul had struggled to put runs on the board, as he averaged 34 with 204 runs in six matches. His form raised concerns over his selection for the marquee event. While chasing 177, Rahul forged a 134-run opening stand with Quinton de Kock, which laid the groundwork for a successful chase. Rahul struck 82 in 53 deliveries at a strike rate of 154.72, which included nine boundaries and three maximums. Along with Quinton de Kock, he provided LSG with a steady start. Skipper KL was the aggressor, targeting the pace trio of Deepak Chahar, Mustafizur Rahman and Tushar Deshpande with some of his most fluent shotmaking during this IPL. The opening pair brought up a 134-run partnership, which laid the foundation for a successful run chase. Nicholas Pooran came in and applied the finishing touches to seal an 8-wicket win. (ANI)
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