KL Rahul Eyes Virat Kohli’s Record as Delhi Capitals Gear Up for Must-Win Clash

Rahul is just 33 runs away from surpassing Kohli as the fastest Indian to reach 8000 T20 runs, as DC face Gujarat Titans in a crucial playoff decider.

New Delhi, May 18 — Delhi Capitals’ veteran batter KL Rahul is on the brink of etching his name into the record books by surpassing Virat Kohli to become the fastest Indian to score 8000 runs in T20 cricket. With just 33 runs needed to reach the milestone, Rahul could achieve the feat in only his 214th T20 innings—well ahead of Kohli’s 243 innings.

If successful, Rahul would also eclipse Pakistan’s Babar Azam (218 innings) to become the second-fastest player globally to the 8000-run mark in the format.

The high-stakes IPL 2024 match against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday presents a golden opportunity for Rahul to reach the milestone. However, standing in his way is Afghanistan’s ace spinner Rashid Khan, who has historically had the better of Rahul. In their previous encounters, Rahul has managed just 40 runs off 47 deliveries against Rashid and has been dismissed three times.

Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel remains a key player against spin attacks. With a blistering strike rate of 192.85 against spin this season, Axar trails only Nicholas Pooran (264) among batters with at least 100 runs scored against spin in IPL 2024.

For Delhi, Sunday’s match is a virtual knockout that will determine their playoff destiny. They’ll be hoping to capitalize on Gujarat’s over-reliance on their top order, which includes Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler. This trio has averaged 88 deliveries per innings collectively, while the middle and lower order (batters 4 to 11) have only managed an average of 28 balls per innings—a clear sign of vulnerability DC will aim to exploit in their home fixture.

As the Capitals fight for a playoff berth and Rahul chases an individual milestone, all eyes will be on this high-octane encounter in Delhi.