KL Rahul
Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain KL Rahul on Sunday became the first Indian batsman to amass 500 or more runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) on four consecutive occasions. Rahul completed the milestone of 500 runs in IPL 2021 during the match against his former franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Rahul amassed 659 runs in 14 games in his debut season for Punjab, at 54.19, and with a strike rate of 158.41, laced with six half-centuries. In 2019, he scored 593 runs in 14 games at 53.90, comprising a century and six fifties. Last season, Rahul amassed 670 runs to take the Orange Cpa, all of which came in the league stage at 55.83 with a century and five half-centuries. In 2021, Rahul has scored five half-centuries to take his run tally past 500 in 12 games, at an average of 57.22, and with a strike rate of 131.04.
Among Indians, Virat Kohli (2015 and 2016) and Sachin Tendulkar (2010 and 2011) are the only other batters to score 500 or more runs in consecutive IPL seasons.
The all-time record however belongs to Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman David Warner who scored 500-plus runs in six straight seasons - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 - he missed the 2018 season owing to the ball-tampering ban.
Rahul's tally of four such scores in IPL seasons places him second among Indians, after Kohli, who has scored 500-plus runs in five different seasons.
