Loved KL Rahul's strike rate: PBKS captain impresses Sanjay Manjrekar with 50-ball 91 vs RR in IPL 2021

IPL 2021, RR vs PBKS: KL Rahul answered his critics in style by hitting a 50-ball 91 in the opening match for Punjab Kings against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. Rahul was criticised for not batting at a quicker pace last season.

KL Rahul was the top-scorer in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 with 670 runs in 14 matches but questions were asked of his strike rate with Punjab Kings failing to get past the finish line on multiple occasions despite posting above-par totals. KL Rahul had scored a strike rate of 129.34 even as the likes of his teammates, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran scored at a quicker pace. Rahul got as many as 6 fifty-plus scores but his strike rate, especially in the powerplay, was under the scanner. However, KL Rahul made a statement as early as his first outing of IPL 2021. The Punjab Kings captain smashed 91 from just 50 balls as he helped his side post a mammoth total of 221 against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.