Record-breaking KL Rahul happy to change perceptions

Prior to the start of the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), KL Rahul had played down talk of his price tag – a huge Rs 11 crore (around USD 1.7 million) – and about using the tournament to make a statement to the Indian team management.

“I take IPL as IPL and not a tournament where I have to showcase or prove anything to anybody,” Rahul had said at a promotional event, refusing to get drawn into a discussion about his stop-start career in international cricket.

On Sunday 8 April, though, Rahul gave an exhibition of such spectacular stroke play that everyone would have sat up and taken note. Playing for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils, he played out a dot ball before scoring his first runs, a double, and then went 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4 and 4 to get to 51 from 14 balls, making it the quickest half-century in IPL history.

That tied with seven others for the third-fastest half-century in Twenty20 matches overall, and just two balls off the fastest, Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball blitz against England in the ICC World T20 2007.

He might have said earlier that he wasn’t looking to change perceptions about himself, but Rahul was happy to do it anyway. “For years, I've been branded a Test cricketer. It's good for me to be up there, creating history and breaking records. Hope to continue this way,” Rahul, who was dismissed for 51 in 16 balls, said afterwards.

As such, though Rahul hasn’t been a regular in the Indian T20I side, he does have an excellent record in the format: 500 runs from 15 outings at an average of 45.45 and a strike rate of 146.62, with a century and three half-centuries.

Interestingly, not too long after Rahul’s swashbuckling innings had helped Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils, Sunil Narine scored a half-century with almost the same speed – off just 17 balls – for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

He might be known for his bowling, but Narine has often been used for bang-bang stuff at the top of the order in T20 cricket, and it’s come off pretty frequently too. In fact, he has gotten to 50 in just 15 balls in the IPL itself, against the same opponents last season. It used to be the joint-fastest half-century in the IPL with Yusuf Pathan’s effort against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 but has now been relegated to second place.

“It's good to get the ball rolling right away,” said Narine after his Player of the Match award-winning knock. “I wouldn't see myself as an opening batsman, but whatever the team requires of me I'm happy to do, whether it's up the order or down the order. If I get out first ball, that's okay.

“That (aggressive hitting) puts a lot more pressure on the fielding team and less on me.”

On the frenetic hitting against Delhi, which included a sequence of 4, 6, 6, 4 and 4 off Amit Mishra, the veteran leg-spinner, in the third over of the innings, Rahul said, “I just went in there and I just took off. I didn't plan this innings. I was just watching the ball and getting into good positions.

“It's an opener's responsibility to get the team off to a good start. Really happy that it came off today. I was striking the ball really well, but it's important to forget this innings and move on to the coming games. I don't want to be overconfident.”