KL Rahul, who plays as the wicketkeeper-batter for the Delhi Capitals (DC), has shared his thoughts on his much-talked-about celebration that followed their recent win against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This victory seems to have sparked something special in him after his impressive performance in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year. In the IPL match against RCB, he scored an impressive 93 runs off just 53 balls, which included seven fours and six sixes, really making a mark.
After the win, fans were surprised to see a different side of KL. Known for his calm demeanor on the field, he got super animated, thumping his chest and pointing to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, almost like he was claiming it. He also couldn’t help but tap his bat on the ground, creating a lot of buzz among the crowd. He later explained in a video from DC that his celebration was inspired by one of his favorite movies, Kantara. He said, “This is a special place for me. This celebration was from one of my favorite movies, Kantara. So, a tiny reminder that this ground, this turf, this place where I grew up, is mine.”
The way he says 'This is mine' 🥹 pic.twitter.com/DKnWv2HcmN
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 11, 2025
Kantara, a Kannada film that came out in 2022, features Rishabh Shetty and Sapthami Gowda, and has become quite popular. In one memorable scene, a character plants his sword into the ground — an act that seems to resonate with KL’s own feelings about his home ground.
Being from Karnataka, it’s no surprise that KL has spent a lot of his domestic cricket career playing at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He even played for RCB in the IPL for two seasons back in 2013 and 2016. When you look at his stats, they really tell the story. In 20 T20 matches played at this stadium, KL has scored a total of 544 runs, holding an average of around 41.84 and a strike rate exceeding 145. That includes three half-centuries in 17 innings, with his top score being 93*. Looking at his IPL figures, he has amassed 475 runs from 18 games with an average of 43.18.
His performance extends to ODIs as well—KL has played two matches there, scoring 121 runs with an outstanding average of 60.50. Notably, he achieved the fastest century by an Indian during a Cricket World Cup here, reaching the milestone in just 62 balls against the Netherlands in 2023. In Test cricket at the same ground, KL has recorded 207 runs across three matches, averaging about 41.40, with a best score of 90.
In that latest match, Delhi Capitals opted to bowl first, and their spin bowlers did a great job. Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam each took two wickets, helping to limit the RCB side to 163 runs in their 20 overs. The standout performances for RCB came from Phil Salt and Tim David, both scoring 37 runs. RCB did well to put on a solid partnership between Salt and Virat Kohli, who managed 22 runs.
When it was their turn to bat, things didn’t start off great for the Capitals as they found themselves at 58/4, which could have spelled trouble. But KL and Tristan Stubbs weren’t having any of that. They displayed some real grit and put together a solid partnership of 111 runs for the fifth wicket. KL ended up with an unbeaten 93 runs, while Stubbs chipped in with a handy 38 not out, leading DC to a convincing win.
This victory brought DC to second place in the standings with four wins out of four games, while RCB slipped to fourth with three wins but also two losses. With this performance, KL earned the ‘Player of the Match’ title, adding to his impressive tally of 185 runs across three matches so far, which includes two half-centuries and a top score of 93. His average is soaring at over 92, and his strike rate is nearly 170. It’s really exciting to see how well he’s playing!
