Not Virat Kohli, KL Rahul the ‘real King of consistency’ in IPL

Virat Kohli’s name is synonymous with consistency in white-ball cricket. Of anyone who’s played over 20 matches in T20I cricket, he has the highest average, 48.69. A similar trend follows in ODI cricket. If one increases the number of games to at least 50, Kohli has the highest average, 58.71.

It’s remarkable. The dominance has lasted over a decade. Naturally, one would expect that Kohli will be the most consistent batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He’s got the most runs and hundreds. But he’s not the face of consistency in the biggest franchise league.

Virat Kohli during practice for RCB | Image Credit: AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool via Alamy

KL ‘consistent’ Rahul

In fact, it’s someone who fans often criticise. Someone whose intent is questioned. We’re talking about none other than KL Rahul. The wicketkeeper-batter has switched teams and batting position. Across 13 IPL seasons, he’s played for 5 franchises and batted at 6 different positions.

Yet, among all batters who’ve featured in 50 or more innings, Rahul has the highest average. Not just a sliver, but a margin of 10%. In elite sports, like cricket, that’s huge. For all the criticism Rahul gets, one forgets that he never fails. Since 2016, when he played his first full IPL season, his lowest average in a year has been 34.25. That too happened when he was injured and played 9 matches.

Highest batting average in IPL (minimum 50 innings)

He’s the epitome of consistency. One of the reasons why he doesn’t strike faster has also been defined by which team he plays for. From 2018 to 2024, he played for the franchises Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, which had batting depth and quality issues. He couldn’t unleash himself, even if he wanted to.

KL Rahul captained LSG from 2022 to 2024 in the IPL | Image Credit: Avijit Das/ZUMA Press Wire via Alamy

From 2025 onwards, when he began his IPL journey with the Delhi Capitals, we’ve seen Rahul up his intent while his average remains the same. After 18 matches for Delhi, Rahul has actually upped his consistency, averaging 47.13, and his strike rate has gone through the roof, 153.69.

People used to throw around the word ‘anchor’ as a derogatory term. Well, Rahul isn’t an anchor in the IPL. He’s the anchor of the league, and no one comes close to his consistency. Runs are the currency in cricket, and no one accumulates them better than him.

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