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Delhi Capitals (DC) opener KL Rahul is currently in the possession of the orange cap. Rahul leading the orange cap race is not surprising as he has always scored big runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is the rate at which Rahul has been scoring runs. After the match-winning half-century against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in DC’s record-breaking run chase, Rahul's strike rate is 185.83. The improvement is strike rate has impressed former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ambati Rayudu. He believes that Rahul always had the game to score quickly but it was his mindset that was holding him back.
"He [Rahul] has always had the game," Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo Time Out. "He can take on any bowler at any time; it is just his mindset. Today we have seen a very, very good approach to his batting.
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"He went through a couple of shots against Bishnoi because he was sure that Bishnoi had the pace, and he could just stand in the crease and still go through with the shot. That shot was still not on, a slightly good-length or short-of-a-length ball, which he hit straight for six. That shows that the wicket was good, and also KL's confidence in his batting and a change in the way he generally bats.
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"These are the balls that he generally does not take in and it is a great sign that he is taking on these lengths and deliveries against spin. That is why we are seeing him play such higher strike-rates in this tournament compared to few other seasons."
After the match, Rahul mentioned that he wanted more strike in powerplay overs but happy with Pathum Nissanka getting to a 23-ball fifty while fielding restrictions were in place. From 19 off 13 balls, Rahul went berserk in the middle overs. He hit leg-spinner for Ravi Bishnoi for a four and two sixes. He smashed Ravindra Jadeja for a maximum in the 12th over as well.
Rahul opens up on strike rate criticism
Rahul scored 75 runs from 40 deliveries, including six fours and five sixes. He scored at a strike rate of 187.50. After DC’s seven-wicket win over RR, Rahul admitted that there was a need to improve the strike rate to meet the demands of the modern T20 game.
"The strike rate was a big talking point for a few years. That's something that I've really worked on. I'm happy that I've worked on that and I'm doing what's required for the team, number one, and doing what modern T20 cricket requires. And yeah, that's something that's pleasing for me," Rahul said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award.
KL Rahul’s chance to achieve milestone vs CSK
DC's next game is against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 5. Rahul will be chasing a personal milestone at DC's home. He needs 28 more runs to become DC's 11th batter to score 1,000 runs. From 22 innings, he has already scored 972 runs at an average of 54 and strike rate of 163.91, including two centuries and six sixes.
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