KL Rahul has rapidly grown in his international cricket career since he started playing for India. He first gained recognition as a skilled Test player. Later, he showed his ability in shorter cricket formats, proving himself as a versatile batter who excels in all types of games.
In T20 cricket, Rahul consistently performs as an opener for India. His performances have been impressive, making him a key player in this format. Known for his powerful and effortless big hits, Rahul has worked hard to become technically sound. This effort is reflected in his T20 International average of 43.95 and a strike rate of 149.23.
Here, we highlight some of his most memorable innings in T20 Internationals.
1. 110* runs (51 balls) vs West Indies – Lauderhill in 2016
India needed to score 246 runs to win against West Indies in the first T20I match played in the USA. Rahul played a crucial role for India, coming in at number four. He scored a remarkable century off just 46 balls, which was the second fastest in T20I history and the fastest ever by an Indian player. Rahul ended his innings unbeaten on 110 runs, hitting 12 fours and five sixes. His innings kept India in contention throughout the game.
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2. 101* runs (54 balls) vs England – Manchester in 2018
India needed 160 runs to win against England in Manchester. Rahul came in to bat after the openers. Although Dhawan got out early, Rahul and Rohit Sharma led the chase together. Rahul hit 10 fours and five sixes in his innings, scoring most of India’s runs, about 62%. He stayed not out till the end, helping India win the match.
3. 89 runs (49 balls) vs Sri Lanka – Indore in 2017
In a match against Sri Lanka in Indore, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul started India’s batting together. They scored 165 runs before Rohit got out. Rahul played a key role by scoring quickly and letting Rohit face more balls. After Rohit’s dismissal, Rahul accelerated even more, scoring 43 runs in just 16 balls. His aggressive batting helped India reach a record-breaking total of 260 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. India won the match convincingly by 88 runs, thanks largely to Rahul’s explosive innings.
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4. 71 runs (47 balls) vs England – Nagpur in 2017
Rahul started the innings with Virat Kohli against England. He played very well, scoring 71 runs from 47 balls. He hit six fours and two sixes. After the first pair of batsmen were out, Rahul had to lead the team’s batting. He stayed on the field until the 18th over and helped India reach a total score of 144 runs. India won the match by 5 runs in the end.
5. 70 runs (36 balls) vs Ireland – Dublin in 2018
In Dublin during the second T20I against Ireland, KL Rahul played an impressive innings, scoring 70 runs at a very fast pace after starting the innings with skipper Virat Kohli. Kohli got out early, but Rahul then teamed up with Suresh Raina to score 106 runs together. He hit six big sixes during his innings. India scored a total of 213 runs, and Rahul was named the Player of the Match for his performance.
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