The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a platform for many batters to showcase their talent and make themselves a name. Being the World’s most lucrative T20 league, it has opened doors for many players to prove and show their mettle to the world. However, not only for the young Indian players, big names across the globe over the years too have made a big impact in the league and have played an instrumental role in making the league a success.
Some of the major records of the league are owned by overseas players and one among them has been the highest score in the league. The record belongs to none other than Chris Gayle, who has been an absolute legend of the league. Having played 142 matches in the league, the batter has scored 4965 runs to go with an average strike rate of 39.72 and 148.96. He also has 6 centuries and 31 half-centuries to his name with the highest score of 175* runs.
Chris Gayle backs KL Rahul to break his record of unbeaten 175 runs in the IPL
Universe Boss Chris Gayle set the stage on fire in the IPL 2013 when against now-defunct Pune Warriors India he went on to score 175* runs off just 66 balls with the help of 13 four and 17 sixes. He batted at a strike rate of 265.15 and etched his name in the record books.
The record still remains intact and so far no batter has been able to reach close to it. The owner of the record Chris Gayle was asked on Jio Cinema about this and who he feels can shatter it. The former RCB player without any hesitation backed the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) KL Rahul.
Rahul has been an absolute beast in the IPL since 2018. Since joining the Punjab Kings, the batter has consistently smashed over 590 runs in the last 5 seasons and has put his team in a staggering position. He scored 659 runs in his debut season for Punjab Kings in IPL 2018 and then followed it with 593, 670 and 626 runs in the next three editions of the marquee tournament.
ALSO READ: IND vs AUS ODI Schedule 2023, Squads, Venues, Ticket Booking Details, Live Streaming
After that Rahul joined LSG and smashed 616 runs last season and captained his side to the playoffs in the very first season. Not only this, the batter has a nag to play big innings and has smashed 4 centuries in the league with the highest score of unbeaten 132 runs.
With the kind of batting display, he has shown in the league, it’s fair to say that he can break Chris Gayle’s record of the highest score in the league. So far, he has 3889 runs from 109 matches.
KL Rahul to captain Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023
KL Rahul did a terrific job as a skipper in the IPL 2022. He captained the team to the playoffs last year and also led from the front. His side, however, suffered a loss in the eliminator against RCB to end their campaign.
The Rahul-led side would be hoping to go a few steps ahead and win the trophy this around. The IPL 2023 will kick start from 31st March and the Lucknow Super Giants will open their campaign against Delhi Capitals on 1st April.
Visit ICC CRICKET SCHEDULE for more cricketing updates.