KL Rahul added another feather to his illustrious cap on Tuesday, becoming the fastest batter in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to reach the 5000-run milestone. (Highlights | Full Coverage | Cricket News)
The stylish right-hander achieved this feat while playing for Delhi Capitals (DC) against his former team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), during Match 40 of the IPL 2025 at Lucknow's Ekana Cricket Stadium.
The eight-wicket win helped Delhi Capitals move second in the 10-team IPL table, only behind Gujarat Titans on net run rate. Check the updated IPL 2025 points table HERE. Led by first-time captain Axar Patel, the Capitals are in a prime position to seal a top-four spot and qualify for the play-offs.
The 33-year-old surpassed the previous record held by David Warner, who is now playing in the Pakistan Super League. In the IPL, the Aussie great had taken 135 innings to reach the 5000-run mark back in 2020, while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Abu Dhabi. Rahul managed to break this record, setting a new benchmark.
Virat Kohli (157) and his long-time Royal Challengers Bengaluru team-mate AB de Villiers (161), and Shikhar Dhawan (168) complete the top five in this prestigious list of flambouyant batters.
Fastest To Reach 5000 Runs In The IPL
Rahul also became just the eighth player overall to score 5000 or more runs in the IPL. He joins an elite group featuring Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, and AB de Villiers.
During his record-breaking innings against LSG, Rahul also climbed the ladder of all-time leading IPL run-scorers, surpassing Robin Uthappa (4952 runs) and Chris Gayle (4965 runs) to claim the eighth spot. Virat Kohli remains the highest run-scorer in IPL history with 8326 runs.
Rahul, who made his IPL debut in 2013, has represented five different franchises over the past 12 years. He notably served as the leading run-scorer for both Punjab Kings (playing from 2018-2021) and Lucknow Super Giants (2022-2024). Now representing Delhi Capitals, he continues to be a prolific scorer.
His current form in the 2025 season has been exceptional. Rahul has accumulated 323 runs in just seven matches, boasting an impressive average of 64.60 and a dynamic strike rate of 153.80, including three half-centuries. Against LSG, he scored a vital fifty off 40 balls, guiding the Capitals to an eight-wicket victory as they successfully chased down the target of 160 with 13 balls to spare.
Fresh off this milestone and maintaining excellent form, Rahul will look to build on his success when Delhi Capitals take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next match on April 27 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Breakdown of KL Rahul's IPL runs
| Year | M | N.O. | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 323 | 93* | 64.6 | 153.81 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 16 |
| 2024 | 14 | 0 | 520 | 82 | 37.14 | 136.13 | 0 | 4 | 45 | 19 |
| 2023 | 9 | 1 | 274 | 74 | 34.25 | 113.22 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 4 |
| 2022 | 15 | 3 | 616 | 103* | 51.33 | 135.38 | 2 | 4 | 45 | 30 |
| 2021 | 13 | 3 | 626 | 98* | 62.6 | 138.8 | 0 | 6 | 48 | 30 |
| 2020 | 14 | 2 | 670 | 132* | 55.83 | 129.34 | 1 | 5 | 58 | 23 |
| 2019 | 14 | 3 | 593 | 100* | 53.9 | 135.38 | 1 | 6 | 49 | 25 |
| 2018 | 14 | 2 | 659 | 95* | 54.91 | 158.41 | 0 | 6 | 66 | 32 |
| 2016 | 14 | 3 | 397 | 68* | 44.11 | 146.49 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 16 |
| 2015 | 9 | 3 | 142 | 44* | 28.4 | 112.69 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 |
| 2014 | 11 | 0 | 166 | 46 | 20.75 | 101.21 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 125 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 139 | 22 | 5006 | 132* | 46.35 | 135.7 | 4 | 40 | 425 | 203 |
KL Rahul made his Indian Premier League debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2013 and scored 417 in 19 matches (14 innings) for his hometown team. He has also played for Punjab Kings (2548 in 55/55), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (308 in 16/20). During his three-season stint as LSG captain, Rahul scored 1410 in 38 matches (38 innings).
Rahul took his IPL 2025 tally to 323 runs from seven innings at an average of 64.60 and a healthy strike rate of 153.80. With three half-centuries, he is Delhi Capitals' leading scorer this season.
Also a wicket-keeper par excellence, he has close to 91 dismissals so far.
Rishabh Pant's Dugout Meltdown
Meanwhile, the Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant was seen having an animated chat with one of the team mentors and India great Zaheer Khan.
Asked to set a target, LSG got off to a flier with openers Aiden Markram (52 off 33) and Mitchell Marsh (46 off 36) adding 87 runs for the first wicket in 10 overs. But the team could manage only 159/6 with Pant, batting at No.7, facing only a couple of deliveries. He was cleaned up by Mukesh Kumar off the final ball for a two-ball duck.
Delhi Capitals' remaining fixtures
vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 27
vs Kolkata Knight Riders on April 29
vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 5
vs Punjab Kings on May 8
vs Gujarat Titans on May 11
vs Mumbai Indians on May 15
Lucknow Super Giants' remaining fixture
vs Mumbai Indians on April 27
vs Punjab Kings on May 4
vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 9
vs Gujarat Titans on May 14
vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on may 18
