IPL 2021: KL Rahul becomes the fastest Indian batsman to score 5000 T20 runs
KL Rahul became the fastest Indian batsman to aggregate 5,000 runs in T20 cricket on Wednesday. He achieved this feat during the IPL 2021 fixture between the Punjab Kings and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai.
Playing his 143rd T20 inning, Rahul touched the 5,000-run mark after scoring his first run in the game. He took a single off the match's first ball bowled by Abhishek Sharma to break Virat Kohli's record. Indian skipper Kohli completed 5,000 T20 runs in his 167th inning on January 31, 2016, against Australia at Sydney.
Overall, Chris Gayle holds the record for being the quickest batsman to reach 5,000 T20 runs. The Caribbean player scored his 5,000th T20 run in IPL 2013 against the Delhi Capitals. It was his 132nd inning in the game's shortest format.
Unfortunately, KL Rahul could not stay in the middle for long against the Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL 2021 match on Wednesday. He made it back to the pavilion after scoring just four runs off six deliveries.
The Punjab Kings have struggled to get going versus the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai. Despite winning the toss, the Kings lost their first six wickets inside 14 overs.
KL Rahul's excellent record in T20 cricket
KL Rahul made his domestic T20 debut for Karnataka against Goa at Shimoga on February 17, 2013. He has played 156 T20s in his career so far, scoring 5,003 runs.
Heading into the game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahul's batting average in T20s was 42, while his strike rate was 137.75. The right-handed batsman has registered four centuries and 41 fifties in his T20 career so far.
Although KL Rahul could not contribute much in the PBKS vs SRH match, he will expect his bowlers to bring their 'A' game to the table. You can follow the live scorecard of this match here.