Cricket
Cricket
8 of KL Rahul’s best knocks through the 2019-20 season
We look at how the Indian opener fared between February 2019 and February 2020 to identify his best performances with the bat in a purple patch that lasted more than one year.
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8 min
KL Rahul - Shut Out The Noise
Shut Out The Noise is a documentary on how KL Rahul became one of the best batsmen in the world after his return to the India national team in early 2019.
The start of 2019 was not kind to KL Rahul as he faced a temporary exile from the Indian national cricket team.
But determined to do his best to get back to the top, he isolated himself and trained continuously until he got the call up to the national side.
And when he donned the India colours once again, he was ready to grab the opportunity with both hands as he made his presence felt across multiple series and different formats of the game.
Here’s a look at KL Rahul’s incredible performances between February 2019 and February 2020.
24th Feb 2019: 50 in T20I vs Australia
The first T20I in the home series against Australia at Vishakhapatnam’s Dr YS Rajashekhar Reddy International Cricket Stadium was Rahul's first game on comeback. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for the next year, Rahul wanted to hit the ground running to prove he was fit for selection. He blazed away to a half-century in 36 balls, hitting six fours and a six in a knock that came at a strike rate of 138.88. He was the standout player for India as the entire batting line-up folded under pressure to hand Australia the victory.
6th July 2019: 111 in World Cup ODI vs Sri Lanka
At Headingley in Leeds, India were set a stiff 265 target by Sri Lanka after a fighting hundred from Angelo Mathews. While there were initial concerns about how India would go about its run-chase, these were dispelled by the KL Rahul-Rohit Sharma partnership which made 59 together by the 10-over mark – nearly run-a-ball figures. The duo batted for 30 overs together – both players claiming centuries in the process – and put up 189 runs for the opening wicket. Rahul scored a fine hundred to lead India to victory as he was only dismissed when India needed less than 25 runs to win.
11th Dec 2019: 91 in T20I vs West Indies
Rahul’s incredible 91 off 56 balls at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium is an innings that puts him head and shoulders above most other players in the shortest format of the game. Once again combining with Rohit Sharma, Rahul clobbered four sixes and nine fours in an innings that only ended in the final over. India put up a mammoth 240 on board with Rahul contributing much of it. His opening wicket partnership with Rohit produced 135 runs, and then he combined with Virat Kohli in a stand of 95 that came off just 7.2 overs.
18th Dec 2019: 102 in ODI vs West Indies
Vizag seems to be one of Rahul’s favourite hunting grounds as far as scores are concerned. He supported a rampant Rohit Sharma in the second ODI against West Indies. Rahul’s 102 in 104 balls – including three sixes and eight fours – was part of the Rohit-Rahul partnership that produced 227 for the opening wicket. Their steel at the stumps helped India post a total of 387 runs and a convincing victory of 107 runs to level the series.
17th Jan 2020: 80 in ODI vs Australia
Rahul was moved down the order to no.5 for the second match of the series at Rajkot’s Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. He was also entrusted with wicket-keeping duties ahead of Rishabh Pant. In a different role and with different responsibilities, Rahul shone as he came out all guns blazing with the bat. From 198/3 in the 33rd over, Rahul helped India towards a total of 340 with his dynamic 80 that came off a mere 52 balls. He finished the game with a catch and a stumping from behind the wicket and was awarded the Man of the Match.
24th Jan 2020: 56 in T20I vs New Zealand
In the first T20I at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand made their intent clear by setting India a target of 204. Rohit Sharma fell in the 2nd over but Rahul steadied the ship by striking 29 runs in 13 balls during the powerplay. He brought up his half-century and India's 100 with a flat-batted six over long-on and finished on 56 off 27 balls with four fours and three sixes. His 200-plus strike-rate knock gave India the momentum they were seeking at the beginning of the innings.
5th Feb 2020: 88* in ODI vs New Zealand
At Hamilton’s Seddon Park, India lost despite posting a mammoth 347 in the first ODI in New Zealand. Despite the defeat, the match had some outrageous knocks by Indians, including one fine innings from KL Rahul. Donning the dual role of wicket-keeper and middle-order batsman, Rahul hit an unbeaten 88 in 64 balls to propel India to a total of 347. His terrific strike rate played a part in India's late surge with the bat.
11th Feb 2020: 112 in ODI vs New Zealand
The ODI series in New Zealand was a whitewash, but KL Rahul was the only silver lining. As a middle-order batsman in the series, he scored a blistering century in the last match at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Rahul came in to smash 112 in 113 balls as a saviour to the failing Indian top-order. Walking in at 62 for 3, Rahul was only dismissed in the 47th over of the innings, thumping nine fours and two elegant sixes in his first hundred of 2020.
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