Cricket
Cricket
These are KL Rahul's happiest hunting grounds in India
We list KL Rahul’s favourite cricket stadiums in India based on his stellar performances in international matches.
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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.
KL Rahul's rise as one of Indian cricket's most prodigious talents reached a new high in the 2019-2020 season with the batsman successfully piling on runs in the white-ball formats for India.
Rahul's career so far is studded with some extraordinary knocks, and the Indian crowd in various cities have been lucky to witness his full mettle.
Here we take a glance at some of the Indian stadiums he has made his own through splendid knocks against visiting national teams.
1. Dr YS Rajashekhar Reddy International Cricket Stadium, Vishakhapatnam
After losing the first ODI of the series against West Indies in December 2019, India turned to Vizag for the second game hoping to salvage the series. KL Rahul combined with Rohit Sharma to put the result beyond doubt as the opening duo slammed 227 for the first wicket. Rahul made 102 at almost run-a-ball with eight 4s and three 6s in his innings. He walked off to a deafening round of applause from the crowd for a breathtaking century, his first in home conditions in the format.
2. Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
KL Rahul had hit peak form by the end of 2019 which carried into 2020. At Rajkot, in the second ODI of the series against Australia, he was handed a new role down the order at number 5 in addition to taking up wicketkeeping duties. While many felt the opener was playing out of his comfort zone, the Karnataka batsman slogged the Aussie attack in an innings that lasted 52 balls and yielded 80 runs. He proved himself to be a flexible player who could bat anywhere in the line-up and still shine.
3. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
The West Indies tour in December 2019 was a great reflection of what Rahul adds to India's limited-overs sides. In the T20I series, Rahul had a 40-ball 62 in the first match at Hyderabad. But his performance at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was his stand-out performance of the series. He combined with Rohit Sharma in a scintillating stand of 135 for the opening wicket in Mumbai. Rahul made 91 in 56 balls – an unbelievable strike rate of 162.5 – with nine 4s and four 6s. He was particularly harsh on Jason Holder, whom he smashed for two successive 4s in the second over, and a 4 and a maximum in the fourth over. When Holder came on for his final over in the 15th over of the innings, Rahul greeted him with a thumping 6.
4. Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
While still building his reputation, Rahul shone brightly in a T20I against Sri Lanka in 2017. Like with a lot of his knocks, it was Rohit Sharma partnering him at the top that produced the highlight of the game. While Rohit hit a ton, Rahul was highly impressive at the other end, bludgeoning 89 in 49 deliveries with eight stunning 6s coming off his bat. The two put on 165 for the opening wicket, and Rahul started being seen as someone who could take the game to the opposition early in T20I innings.
5. MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The first signs of KL Rahul being one for India's future stemmed during an outstanding Test knock in 2016 against England at Chepauk Stadium. In the final Test of the series, England made 477 batting first, forcing India to make a statement with their counter-punch. Rahul stepped up to the plate alongside Karun Nair putting on 161 for the fourth wicket. Unfortunately, Rahul nicked to the wicket-keeper on 199, stopping just short of a double hundred. His impressive knock had also laid the foundation for Karun Nair, who went on to settle into a triple hundred as India enjoyed an innings victory.
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