KL Rahul Becomes 2nd Indian WicketKeeper-Batsman To Hit A Century Outside Asia In ODIs

The Karnataka batsman KL Rahul achieved an impressive feat after he slammed a majestic ton against New Zealand in the third and final match of the ODI series at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday.

Rahul slammed his fourth century in the 50-over format and was responsible for helping India to post a fighting total after yet another poor show from the top-order.

With the century, Rahul became the second wicket-keeper of India to score a century away from India. He surpassed the previous best of MS Dhoni’s 95 by registering 112 at Bay Oval. Rahul Dravid tops the list with 145 to his name against Sri Lanka at Taunton, which came in 1999.

KL Rahul scored 112 off 113 balls:

KL also brought up his 4th ODI hundred in 104 balls as he anchored India’s charge in Mount Maunganui after another top-order failure when they were reeling at 62 for three.

Rahul also became only the 2nd Indian batsman after Suresh Raina (vs Zimbabwe in 2015) to score a hundred while batting at No. 5 or lower in New Zealand in ODI cricket.

Rahul also etched his name in history books as he became the first India batsman to score a century against Kiwis in New Zealand while coming to bat at number five or below.

KL rich vein of form has come at the right time for India who are struggling without first-choice openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in New Zealand.

On Tuesday, India got off to a horror start losing Mayank Agarwal (1) and captain Virat Kohli inside first seven overs. Prithvi Shaw (40) got a start but failed to convert it once again as he was run out in the 13th over.

KL, who has been asked to bat at No. 5 in ODIs, has once again showcased he is ready to be flexible by coming up with a well-paced innings

This 2.0 version of KL seems to comprehend his role in the team better, while also showcasing an acute sense of responsibility.

It looks like he has grasped that he can no longer remain the kid in the team. He was always believed to be someone who had the potential to be a leader within the team, and now he has started playing like one.

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