KL Rahul (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
He was the leading run-getter for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2024. He has been the higher-scorer for the franchise since its inception in 2022. He has the highest aggregate in the IPL since 2018. And yet, KL Rahul was not retained by LSG for the 2025 edition of the tournament.
Yes, there were off-field controversies between Rahul and the owners of LSG which did not help matters but surely his numbers could not have been ignored. So, then the question which emerges is this –is there a problem in Rahul’s approach to batting? Is his stubbornness to ignore strike rate the root cause of his ouster from LSG? Has Rahul undermined his chances by deliberately choosing to play anchor?
RG examines the case.
The Numbers which define KL Rahul in the IPL
Rahul is a big run-getter in the IPL and the leading scorer in the league since 2018. He has an aggregate of 3958 runs in 93 innings at an average of 50.1 and strike rate of 136.38. His exploits include 33 fifties and four hundreds. There is a big gap between Rahul and the second-highest scorer in this time-frame – Virat Kohli who has an aggregate of 3586 runs.
Rahul has scored in excess of 600 runs in four of the seven editions during this period and more than 500 on as many as six! These are mind-boggling numbers and showcase his consistency in the most prestigious league in the world.
Rahul has been the highest scorer for LSG since its inception on 2022 with an aggregate of 1410 in 38 innings at an average of 41.5 and strike rate of 130.7 with 10 fifties and two hundreds. No other batter has scored 1000 runs for the franchise. Prima facie these are very impressive numbers. But a closer scrutiny reveals another story.
Rahul – the opener in the IPL
Rahul has scored a majority of his runs opening the innings in the IPL. He has an aggregate of 4183 runs in 99 innings at an average of 48.63 and strike rate of 136.92 from the top of the order.
Rahul scored 2548 runs in 55 innings as opener for Punjab Kings at an average of 56.62 and strike rate of 139.76. 12 of his 25 fifty-plus scores came at a strike rate of 150-plus with six in excess of 190! Punjab Kings won eight of these matches which was a success percentage of 66.67% showcasing a clear correlation between his pace of scoring and success for his franchise.
Rahul – the opener for LSG
It is a similar story for Rahul wrt the Lucknow Super Giants. Rahul has 12 50-plus scores for LSG. Only five of these have come at a scoring rate of in excess of 150 and not surprisingly, LSG has been victorious in four of these encounters. On the other hand, LSG has lost four of the seven matches in which Rahul has scored a minimum of fifty runs but at a strike rate ranging between 111.47 and 136.2 (average strike rate of 130.7).
There is a clear correlation between Rahul’s sluggish strike rate as opener and an adverse result for his franchise. And yet, despite the enormous bouts of talent he possesses, Rahul chooses to bat well within himself as an anchor, seldom playing to his full potential. This method is counter-productive to his franchise as not only is he not maximizing the run-scoring opportunities but also putting extra pressure on the batters to follow by consuming precious deliveries.
Rahul in 2024 – far behind in the race
Rahul was the highest run-getter for LSG in IPL 2024 with an aggregate of 520 runs but he scored them at a rate of 136.12. The average strike rate for an opener in the season was 154.67! 2024 was a revolutionary season for the batters which saw record run-rates, totals and sixes. Rahul was way behind the norm and could not adjust his game consistently to the trend of the season. Just for perspective, as many as 19 openers (min. 150 runs) had a higher strike rate than Rahul in the tournament. Jake Fraser-McGurk, at the top of the pack, had a strike rate of 238.63 and was followed by Abhishek Sharma who scored at 202.06 per hundred deliveries!
Rahul’s inability and in some ways, unwillingness to change his game to the demands of T20 cricket, has reduced his impact as a batter at the top of the order. He may still be a run-machine but that is not enough anymore in franchise cricket.
It is thus, not surprising that LSG let go of their most prolific run-getter.
Nikhil Narain is a die-hard cricket romantic, published author, and has worked for some of the leading digital websites and broadcasters in India and overseas. An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Nikhil's forte is using data and numbers creatively to weave interesting stories and revolutionize the way cricket statistics are generated and analyzed.
