Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 11 (ANI): Delhi Capitals' (DC) wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul spoke about his recently viral celebratory move after defeating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), revealing the film that influenced him.
Following his impressive performances during India's ICC Champions Trophy run earlier this year, KL hasn't looked back since.
In the IPL match versus RCB, he scored an unbeaten 93 runs off only 53 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and six maximums.
Following the victory, KL, known for being a quiet and composed figure on the pitch, became highly energetic, striking his chest and gesturing emphatically toward the ground and his jersey, seemingly declaring that (the M Chinnaswamy Stadium) belongs to him. He also tapped his bat against the ground several times.
In a video posted by DC, Rahul stated, “This location holds a special significance for me. The celebration here was inspired by one of my favorite movies, Kantara. Thus, it serves as a small reminder that the field, the pitch, and the area where I spent my childhood belong to me.”
"Kantara," released in 2022 as a Kannada film featuring Rishabh Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, and Achyuth Kumar, includes an image where a character is depicted thrusting their sword into the earth.
As a Karnataka native, KL has predominantly played his domestic cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He also represented RCB in two Indian Premier League seasons, in 2013 and 2016.
In 20 T20 games played at Chinnaswamy Stadium, KL has accumulated 544 runs with an average of 41.84 and a strike rate exceeding 145. He has scored three half-centuries across 17 innings, achieving his highest score of 93* there. Additionally, in 18 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches held at this stadium, he has tallied 475 runs averaging 43.18 and maintaining a nearly 144 strike rate, including another trio of fifty-plus scores from 15 appearances.
During two ODI matches held here, KL has scored 121 runs with an average of 60.50. His highest score stands at 102, which marks the quickest century by an Indian player in a Cricket World Cup history, achieved in merely 62 deliveries against the Netherlands in 2023.
Over the course of three Test matches and five innings played here, KL has scored 207 runs with an average of 41.40. He has managed to make three half-centuries, his highest score being 90.
Following their decision to field first, Delhi Capitals, spearheaded by the impressive bowling from Kuldeep Yadav (2/17) and Vipraj Nigam (2/18), limited the hosts to 163/7 within their allotted overs. Key contributions came from Phil Salt who scored an explosive 37 runs off just 17 deliveries including four boundaries and three sixes, alongside Tim David’s unbeaten knock of 37 runs off 20 balls featuring two fours and four sixes. Despite this, a formidable partnership worth 61 runs was formed between Salt and Virat Kohli, who contributed with 22 runs off 14 balls which included one boundary and two sixes.
The Delhi Capitals had fallen to 58/4 at one point, but Rahul and Tristan Stubbs demonstrated resilience by forming an unbroken partnership of 111 runs for the fifth wicket, guiding their side to a decisive victory. Rahul notched up an undefeated 93 from just 53 balls, hitting seven fours and six sixes along the way, whereas Stubbs contributed an impressive 38* off only 23 deliveries, including four boundaries and a six, securing their squad’s fourth triumph.
DC ranks second with four victories across all their four games, whereas RCB stands at fourth position having secured three wins out of five encounters along with two defeats.
In the recent match, KL was honored with the 'Player of the Match' title. In his first three games, he accumulated 185 runs, including two scores over fifty, with his highest being an unbeaten 93*. His batting average stands at more than 92, coupled with a striking rate close to 170. (ANI)