At the end of 16 overs of the innings, Kings XI Punjab scored 132 runs for the loss of 3 wickets, with skipper Lokesh Rahul unbeaten on 72 off 51 balls. From this situation, in the last 24 balls, they took 48 runs, the team collected 180 runs .which is now a regular occurrence in IPL or T20 cricket. But according to the scoreboard, Punjab collected 206 runs for 3 wickets at the end of the 20 overs scheduled for Thursday night’s match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In other words, Punjab added 76 runs from the last 24 balls. Whose full credit belongs to the captain Lokesh Rahul.
Rahul was unbeaten on 132 off 69 balls in the second century of his IPL career. Which means he has taken 60 runs from the last 18 balls he has faced, at this time he has hit 5 fours and 6 sixes!
After a slow start and completing a century off 62 balls, Rahul’s willow has reached 32 more runs from the last 7 balls. The Punjab captain hit four sixes and two fours in these 7 balls.
In this devastating century, just as Rahul brought his team a big collection of 206 runs, he also set a double record. Rahul’s innings is the fourth highest individual innings in the history of the IPL. But this is the highest when it comes to Indian batsmen. It is also the highest run innings in the IPL as a captain.
For so long, the record for the highest run innings among Indians in the IPL was held by Rishav Pant. Pant played an unbeaten innings of 128 off 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL for Delhi. Rahul broke that record by playing an unbeaten innings of 132 against Bangalore.
Besides, David Warner had the highest run innings in the IPL as a captain for so long. Sunrisers captain Warner scored 126 off 59 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2016 IPL. After three years, Punjab captain Rahul broke that record and scored 132 runs.
However, Rahul has fallen far short of the record for the highest individual innings in IPL history. Chris Gayle played an innings of 175 against Pune Warriors in the 2013 edition of IPL. Not only the IPL, but also the record of highest individual runs in T20 cricket.
Highest individual innings in the IPL
1. Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 175 * (66) vs Pune Warriors (2013)
2. Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders) – 158 * (73) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (2008)
3. AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 133 * (59) vs Mumbai Indians (2015)
4. Lokesh Rahul (Kings XI Punjab) – 132 * (69) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (2020)
5. AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 129 * (52) vs Gujarat Lions (2016)