KL Rahul’s defining moment? Why IPL 2016 match between RCB and GL mattered most for him

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KL Rahul's defining moment in IPL

Delhi Capitals star KL Rahul is one of the most prolific batters in the history of Indian Premier League. Rahul is in an impressive form in the ongoing IPL 2025, amassing 323 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 64.60 and a strike rate of 153.80 in seven matches.

Rahul began his IPL journey with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 and went on to ply his trade for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and now Delhi Capitals. Recently, the 33-year-old became the fastest player to complete 5000 IPL runs, achieving the milestone in just 130 innings. He surpassed David Warner’s previous record of 135 innings 5000-run mark in IPL.

As KL Rahul has established himself as one of the best batters in the IPL, the Karnataka-born batter had a defining moment of his career in the IPL 2016 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Lions.

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KL Rahul’s breakthrough fifty

KL Rahul played an impactful innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2016 clash against Gujarat Titans in Rajkot. Rahul walked out to bat when RCB lost the wicket of AB de Villiers at 59/2 7.4 overs and joined Virat Kohli at the crease. Though Rahul was a bit under pressure to perform, he displayed his composure as he played a brilliant innings of 51 off 35 balls. He also formed an unbeaten 121-run partnership for the third wicket with Virat Kohli, who scored 100 off 63 balls to help RCB post a total of 180/2. However, their efforts went in vain Gujarat Lions chased down an 181-run target in 19.3 overs.

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Why did the match matter for KL Rahul?

KL Rahul was under pressure to perform as he did not score a single fifty in the first 20 matches of his IPL career. Rahul was evolving as a player in the T20 format and establishing himself as the top-order batter. The match against Gujarat Lions was significant in his career as it marked his first IPL fifty, demonstrating to come up with good performance under pressure and forming a solid partnership with Kohli. Despite RCB’s loss, the match was a key turning point of his IPL career, as it not only laid the foundation for a future success but also helped gain and trust in his game. At the same time, Rahul was trying to solidify his place as an reliable performer in the IPL, showcasing his ability to handle pressure, build partnerships, and contribute to the team in crucial situations.

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Breakthrough season for KL Rahul

The IPL 2016 was a turning point of his career in the IPL after he had three unsuccessful seasons, one with RCB in 2013 and two years with Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his first three IPL seasons, Rahul accumulated only 328 runs at an average of 21.86 in 25 matches. However, KL Rahul’s second season with RCB in 2016 was a breakthrough year for him. He was the third highest run-getter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with 397 runs, including 4 fifties, at an average of 44.11 and a strike rate of 146.49 in 14 matches. This laid the foundation for KL Rahul to establish himself as one of the most consistent and dependable T20 batters in the IPL. His performance in the 2016 IPL season elevated his career and set the stage for successful stints with other IPL franchises.

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KL Rahul’s successful IPL season

KL Rahul’s most successful IPL season came in 2020 when he was playing for Punjab Kings (then formerly known as Kings XI Punjab). Rahul was awarded the Orange Cap for highest run-getter of the season, amassing 670 runs, including a century and 5 fifties, at an average of 55.83 and a strike rate of 129.34 in 14 matches. Rahul has amassed over 600 runs in four different seasons, making the first batter to score to achieve such a feat in the IPL. His consistency and ability to perform under pressure solidified his status as one of the best batters in IPL history.