KL Rahul becomes first player to cross 1,000 run mark for three IPL teams

NEW DELHI: Indian opener KL Rahul made history, becoming the first-ever player to score 1,000 runs or more for three different Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. Rahul achieved this feat during his side’s IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), scoring 23 in 14 balls, with four boundaries at a strike rate of over 164.

KL Rahul is the 11th batter to score 1,000 runs for DC, having made 1,007 runs in 24 innings at an average of 50.35 and a strike rate of 162.41, including two centuries and six fifties, with best score of 152*. 24 innings by Rahul is the quickest to the 1000-run milestone for Delhi Capitals bettering 35 innings each by JP Duminy & Rishabh Pant.

This season, KL is DC’s top run-getter and overall third with 468 runs in 11 innings at an average of 46.80 and a strike rate of 180, including a century and three fifties, with best score of 152*.

– 2548 runs for Punjab Kings.
– 1410 runs for Lucknow Super Giants.
– 1007 runs for Delhi Capitals.

KL RAHUL – First batter in IPL history to score 1000+ runs for three different franchises pic.twitter.com/Y5A5zEMvba

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 8, 2026

Before this, KL had scored 1,000 or more runs for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He is PBKS’s leading run-getter, with 2,548 runs in 55 matches and innings at an average of 56.62 and a strike rate of 139.76, with two centuries and 23 fifties.

For LSG, he is the second-highest run-getter, with 1,410 runs in 38 matches and innings at an average of 41.47 and a strike rate of 130.67, with two centuries and 10 fifties.

KL has also represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but did not cross the four-digit mark for them, scoring 308 runs in 20 matches for SRH, with best score of 46, while he made 417 runs in 19 matches for RCB, with four fifties in 14 innings.

Coming to the match, KKR won the toss and opted to field first. After a 49-run stand between Pathum Nissanka (50 in 29 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and KL, DC sunk to 89/5, with Anukul Roy (2/31 in four overs) shaking up their middle-order.

Spinners Varun Chakravarthy (0/28) and Sunil Narine (1/17) also unleashed a brutal spin choke in middle overs, while Kartik Tyayi also took two crucial wickets for 25 runs. Ashutosh Sharma (39 in 28 balls, with three fours and sixes each) took DC to 142/8 in 20 overs. (ANI)