Delhi Capitals posted a formidable total of 200 runs on the board at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, putting immense pressure on Gujarat Titans after Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first. The highlight of the innings was KL Rahul’s commanding performance at the top of the order.
Making a strong statement with his promotion to opener in place of Karun Nair, Rahul smashed his fifth IPL century and his first for Delhi Capitals, scoring an authoritative 112 off just 65 balls. His innings included 14 boundaries and four towering sixes, accounting for more than half of the team’s total in what was essentially a one-man demolition job.
Rahul’s approach was measured to begin with, reaching his fifty off 35 balls. However, the tempo shifted dramatically in the second half of the innings. He tore into the Gujarat bowlers with precision and power, especially during and after the 14th over. Sai Kishore bore the brunt of Rahul’s wrath as the opener dispatched him for three boundaries in a single over.
The final overs saw Rahul continue the carnage, taking full advantage of loose deliveries to propel Delhi to a strong finish, leaving Gujarat Titans visibly rattled and regretful of their decision to field first.
The final over of the innings provided an amusing moment of drama. Mohammed Siraj, tasked with containing Rahul, began with a pinpoint yorker aimed at the stumps. Rahul, anticipating a slower delivery, had already shuffled across to play a scoop shot.
But the ball swung in unexpectedly, catching the inside edge of Rahul’s bat and narrowly missing the stumps before racing away for four. Oddly enough, Siraj erupted in a loud appeal for a dismissal, despite the ball clearly hitting the bat and the umpire awarding a boundary.
— samson (@samson8943) May 18, 2025
Undeterred by the initial response from the umpire and fielders, Siraj insisted on a review, persuading captain Shubman Gill to comply. The review, however, only served to confirm what everyone had already seen. The replays showed a clear deflection off Rahul’s bat, so evident that the third umpire didn’t even need UltraEdge to make his decision. The unnecessary referral became a source of entertainment rather than tension.
𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙙 👏
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2025
An innings of the highest caliber from KL Rahul 🫡
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The incident instantly caught fire on social media, with fans poking fun at Siraj’s overenthusiastic appeal. Memes and jokes flooded Twitter, mocking the comically misplaced confidence of the pacer. While the review did little to change the outcome of the innings, it added an unexpected moment of levity to an otherwise intense contest, capping off a memorable night for KL Rahul and Delhi Capitals.