Kolkata, May 24: When Royal Challengers Bangalore come up against Lucknow Super Giants, the RCB will come across a very familiar foe — KL Rahul.
Rahul had made his IPL debut for the RCB in 2013 before joining Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and the Lucknow outfit in the subsequent years.
When Rahul was let go by Bangalore after a rather modest stint, there was a lot of hue and cry for the franchise not investing in the talented local lad.
It became a rather big thorn in the flesh for RCB as Rahul grew in stature as a batsman in the IPL and captained two teams in PBKS and LSG.
Many would not have been fascinated by Rahul as captain but there would not be two opinions about Rahul the batsman.
He has tormented several teams in the IPL over the years but none so severely as Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Former India captain and commentator Sunil Gavaskar painted a clear picture of Rahul’s batting.
“He’s been outstanding. The best part about KL Rahul’s batting is that nothing is agricultural in his cricketing shots. Every shot that he plays is a proper textbook stroke,” said Gavaskar in Star Sports.
“So what he has actually told you with his shot-making skills is that you don’t have to manufacture shots. If you’ve got the shots, use them and the selection of his shots has been outstanding,” he said.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also lavished praise on the Karnataka batter claiming his batting to be a breath of fresh air.
Pietersen said: “He has a wide range of shots in his armoury. So he can hit you over back-foot point, he can slice you for a six. He can hit you over extra-cover, he can hit you down the ground, and he can pick you over midwicket.
“So, he really is a 360-degree batter. I mean, he’s a breath of fresh air. You can switch on the TV and watch him bat all day.”
So what are his achievements and records against Royal Challengers Bangalore?
KL Rahul vs RCB Stats
Matches: 12
Balls faced: 355
Runs: 531
Avg: 91
Strike-rate: 149.58
KL Rahul’s overall IPL record
Matches: 108
Runs: 3810
Avg: 47.63
100s: 4
50s: 30
Strike-rate: 136.22