Is KL Rahul the best opener in IPL history?
What's the story
In a major announcement ahead of their IPL 2026 opener, the Delhi Capitals have confirmed that senior batter KL Rahul will be their permanent opener this season. The decision was made public during a pre-tournament press conference by head coach Hemang Badani and director of cricket Venugopal Rao. On this note, let's decode Rahul's stellar numbers as an opener in IPL.
why-does-it-matter
Why does this story matter?
Last season, the Delhi Capitals tried as many as seven different opening combinations. The team started with Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, but had to change due to the latter's poor form. Rahul, who batted in the middle order in the first half of the season, later returned as an opener. Though the Capitals could not qualify for the playoffs, Rahul played some stunning knocks at the top.
DYK
Rahul belongs to this list
As per ESPNcricinfo, Rahul is among just the six batters in IPL history with 4,000-plus runs as an opening batter. He boasts 4,418 runs from 103 matches in this regard at 49.64 (SR: 138.14). Shikhar Dhawan (6,362), Virat Kohli (5,009), David Warner (5,910), Chris Gayle (4,260), and du Plessis (4,004) are the other members on this list.
Average
Best average among openers
Rahul's average of 49.64 is the best among openers with at least 1,000 runs in the league. Kohli (46.81) is the only other batter with a 45-plus average on this list. Each of Rahul's five IPL tons has come at this position. The tally also includes 36 fifties. Meanwhile, Rahul has scored the most runs as an opener in IPL since the start of 2018 (4,193). Shubman Gill (3,603) is the only other opener with 3,400-plus runs in this period.
Information
Rahul owns this record
Playing for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Rahul went berserk in an IPL 2018 game against DC and completed his fifty off just 14 balls. This is the second-fastest fifty by an opener in IPL history. Yashasvi Jaiswal (13 balls) holds the record.
Stats
Here are his IPL stats
Rahul, one of the most prolific batters, has overall hammered 5,222 runs across 145 matches at a remarkable average of 46.21 in the IPL. His strike rate reads 136.03 (50s: 40, 100s: 5). Rahul has scored 500 or more runs in seven IPL seasons. Only Kohli (8 times) is ahead of him on this list. The former shares the second spot with Warner. Notably, Rahul won the Orange Cap in 2020 for scoring 670 runs.