K L Rahul : Captain leading from the front

With his sensational knock, the skipper grandly announced his comeback. Apart from being a great batsman, KL Rahul is also a great leader, taking his team forward in the season. He displayed outstanding leadership skills not just against Mumbai Indians, but in all the matches that he leads a skipper throughout the season. KL's great sense of cricket is reflected well on the field while making the crucial decisions for the team. Let us look at KL's captaincy career and his character in leading his team.

Captain KL Rahul throughout the years!

KL Rahul, the explosive top ordered batsman, was appointed as the captain of Punjab Kings in 2020. After becoming captain of Punjab, KL Rahul, as a batter, did even better than what he did in the previous years. As captain, he scored 670 runs in IPL 2020 with an average of 55.8. Although his team finished 6th in the tournament, KL proved his leadership skills in the first season through his excellent performance. In 2021, KL Rahul captained Punjab Kings again, giving his complete efforts to the team. He had been completely outstanding, scoring 626 runs with an appreciable average of 62.6. Despite his outstanding efforts, he didn't get the support from his team and consequently, the team finished in 6th place. However, KL's captaincy was highlighted and praised by many. He had been the leading run-scorer for his franchise ever since he joined it.

IPL 2022: A new chapter for the skipper

The right-handed batsman from Karnataka turned out as the most expensive player of this year's edition after newly emerged Lucknow Super Giants chose him as their first pick for 17 crores before the mega auction. This made the batter joint the highest-paid player in the tournament's history. He has been one of the most consistent batters in the last four years, and the stylish batter has been scoring heavily. In the current edition, the wicketkeeper-batsman has been leading a new franchise. His captaincy record in IPL has been quite impressive. In his 32 matches as a captain, he won 14 matches with a win percentage of 46.8%. Rahul's captaincy has been enhanced this year with several match-winning players and some potential match-winners at his disposal. His team, Punjab, has won 3 out of 5 matches, and all the three wins were against MI, CSK and RCB, the three most dominant contestants in the league. This clearly reflects KL's mastery in leading his team. KL has been quite well with his bat for his team as he has scored 235 runs with an average of 47. Also, his strike rate this year has been 144.7, which shows his quick scoring abilities as well. 

'Shut outside noise' after stunning century against MI.

In the match against Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants sealed a fierce victory, but the man who stole the show was KL Rahul! With his third IPL century and first of the season, he helped LSG to post a big total on board. The skipper scored unbeaten 103 runs off 60 balls with a stunning strike rate of 171. He was a completely flawless masterstroke against the five-times champion as he hammered the bowlers all over the stadium. With his iconic celebration after the century, he shut off all the critics who were questioning him for his performance in the previous match against RR. 

KL, with his excellent performance and skills, has been proving his potential as a player as well as a captain. The skipper has given opportunities to many new faces, reflecting his trust in his youngster, which is a sign of a great captain! We can definitely hope the skipper is flourishing in the future as a great captain with his ability to lead from the front taking his team to new levels.