Rahul heads into the contest with confidence, having recently played a match-winning knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a venue close to his heart as his home ground in domestic cricket. The Delhi Capitals batter has shown a noticeable shift in approach this season, batting with greater intent. He is currently striking at close to 170, hitting a boundary every 2.6 balls, reflecting his more attacking mindset at the top.
So far this season, Rahul has scored 205 runs in six innings with a strike rate of 166.67, including two half-centuries, with a best score of 92.
Closing in on Dhoni
In his IPL career, Rahul has represented multiple franchises: Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants, before joining Delhi Capitals and amassed 5,427 runs in 151 matches (142 innings) at an impressive average of 45.60 and a strike rate of 136.97. His tally includes five centuries and 42 fifties, with a highest score of 132*.
On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings legend MS Dhoni has scored 5,439 runs in 278 matches (242 innings) at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties, with a top score of 84*.
Rahul has already surpassed Dhoni in one key metric, the most 50-plus scores as a designated wicketkeeper-batter in IPL history, with 31 such scores compared to Dhoni’s 24. If Rahul crosses Dhoni tonight, his next target will be Suresh Raina, who sits fifth on the all-time list with 5,528 runs.
Here are the top 10 leading run-scores in the history of IPL:
| Rank | Player | Total Runs | Matches | Centuries | Fifties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | 8,908 | 273 | 8 | 65 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | 7,183 | 276 | 2 | 48 |
| 3 | Shikhar Dhawan | 6,769 | 222 | 2 | 51 |
| 4 | David Warner | 6,565 | 184 | 4 | 62 |
| 5 | Suresh Raina | 5,528 | 205 | 1 | 39 |
| 6 | MS Dhoni | 5,439 | 278 | 0 | 24 |
| 7 | KL Rahul | 5,427 | 151 | 5 | 42 |
| 8 | Ajinkya Rahane | 5,184 | 205 | 2 | 34 |
| 9 | AB de Villiers | 5,162 | 184 | 3 | 40 |
| 10 | Suryakumar Yadav | 4,432 | 172 | 2 | 30 |