KL Rahul REVEALS inspiration behind unique celebration after DC's win over RCB (WATCH)

KL Rahul's unbeaten 93 led Delhi Capitals to victory against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025. His unique celebration moments after hitting a winning six became a major talking point and the right-handed batter revealed the inspiration behind it.

Delhi Capitals (DC) batter KL Rahul grabbed the headlines with his terrific unbeaten 93-run knock in the IPL 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, April 10. 

Delhi Capitals registered their fourth successive win of the season with a six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru. With a target of 164, the visitors chased it down with 13 balls to spare. KL Rahul was the star performer as he led the DC’s run-chase after an early collapse and displayed his aggressive intent with a mixed elegance of strokeplays and powerful hitting across the park. Also, Rahul formed a crucial 111-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Tristan Stubbs, who scored an unbeaten 38 off 23 balls. 

When DC required just 1 run off 13 balls, Rahul hit a winning six off Yash Dayal to take the team over the finish line. What made his knock even more special was that it came at his home ground, where he has played domestic cricket for Karnataka since the early days of his career. That made the moment all the more emotional and memorable for him.

KL Rahul’s unique celebration and inspiration behind it

As soon as hitting a winning six to seal the victory for Delhi Capitals, KL Rahul came up with a celebration that left the fans and spectators at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium wondering about the inspiration behind the gesture. 

Just a few moments after taking Delhi Capitals over the finish line with 13 balls to spare, KL Rahul stomped his bat on the ground, thumped his chest, and declared “This is f*****ing my ground”, as a fierce declaration of ownership and emotion, showcasing his deep rooted connection with M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The video of the same went viral on social media. 

In a video posted by Delhi Capitals on X handle (formerly Twitter), KL Rahul revealed the story and inspiration behind the unique celebration. The right-handed batter stated that the celebration was from his favourite Kannada movie ‘Kantara’ and added that the ground belongs to him, as he played his early days of his career at the iconic stadium. 

“This is a special place for me. The celebration was from one of my favourite movies, Kantara. So, yes, just a tiny reminder that this ground, this home, this turf is where I have grown up and this is mine." Rahul said in a video. 

Kantara is a blockbuster Kannada film and one of the highest grossing Indian movies in 2022. Rishabh Shetty was the writer, director and lead actor of the film, which garnered widespread acclaim from across the world for its deep-rooted storytelling, showcasing cultural traditions, intense performances, highlighting the conflict between human and nature. 

KL Rahul on the pitch conditions

Speaking at the post-match presentation, where he was adjudged the Player of the Match for his performance, KL Rahul admitted that Chinnaswamy pitch was a bit tricky, but he was able to understand the nature of the pitch while keeping behind the wickets. The 31-year-old added that the intent was to play aggressively before reassessing as per the conditions of the pitch. 

“Was a slightly tricky wicket. What helped me was being behind the stumps for 20 overs, just watching how it played. From wicketkeeping I figured that the ball sat in the wicket a little bit but it was consistent throughout - it wasn't two-paced, it was one paced throughout.” Rahul said. 

“I knew what my shots were. I just wanted to get off to a good start, be aggressive initially and assess it from there. If I was trying to hit a big six, I knew what pockets to target.” he added. 

In IPL 2025, KL Rahul has amassed 185 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 92.50 and a strike rate of 169.72 in three matches.