IPL 2025: 'Heartfelt' KL Rahul Impresses Fans & RCB in Chinnaswamy Comeback
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Synopsis
On April 11, 2025, KL Rahul delivered a stellar performance at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, scoring 93 not out and leading Delhi Capitals to victory over RCB, while leaving fans in awe of his emotional homecoming.
Key Takeaways
- KL Rahul scored an impressive 93 not out against RCB.
- Fans celebrated Rahul despite him playing for DC.
- Rahul paid homage to his roots with an iconic celebration.
- RCB showed interest in acquiring Rahul during the auction.
- Rahul’s return to RCB has strong emotional ties.
New Delhi, April 11 (NationPress) The enthusiastic audience at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium typically provides a significant home advantage for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL. However, on Thursday night, hearing the fans cheer for a rival player on RCB's home ground was quite remarkable.
The primary reason fans clad in RCB colors did this was their local hero, also known as ‘namma huduga’ (own boy in Kannada) KL Rahul, who dominated the stage upon his return by scoring a match-winning 93 not out off 53 balls and helping maintain Delhi Capitals’ unbeaten streak in IPL 2025.
It was a performance where Rahul had to persevere on a sluggish black-soil pitch, before switching gears from the 12th over and accelerating impressively to guide DC to victory with 13 balls remaining. Following his winning shot - a six over the long-leg boundary off Yash Dayal’s full toss - Rahul proudly thumped his chest, as the crowd erupted in cheers and some stood to pay homage to the local star who secured the win, albeit for DC.
If that wasn’t enough, Rahul walked to the adjacent pitch, drew a circle there with his bat, and planted it firmly in the middle, echoing a memorable scene from one of his favorite films Kantara. Following that iconic moment, Rahul embraced Tristan Stubbs and declared, ‘This is my ground.’
As he exited the field, Rahul reiterated the same sentiment to his DC teammates. This proclamation would resonate again in a social media reel posted by the franchise on Friday, where he elaborated on the emotional inspiration behind his celebration. “So yeah, just a tiny reminder that this ground, this home, this turf is where I have grown up and this is mine.”
It seems like a quintessential scenario of “you can take the boy out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the boy,” as demonstrated by Rahul’s unbeaten 93 and his evident affection for Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, according to reliable sources familiar with the situation, the reality is somewhat different.
In July 2024, insiders informed IANS that following a less-than-stellar period with Lucknow Super Giants, both on and off the field, discussions indicated that RCB was keen on acquiring Rahul during the auction. The rationale was clear: to have a local face in Rahul and assign him a leadership role.
Later, when Rahul opted against being retained by LSG and entered the auction pool, RCB’s management assured him that they would make a significant effort to secure him at the Jeddah auction.
This same message was conveyed to Rahul just a day prior to the auction, shortly after he expressed in an interview with Star Sports in November 2024 that it would be a delightful experience to return to the RCB fold.
It’s well-known that at RCB, Rahul excelled as an aggressive middle-order batsman who effectively managed pressure during the team’s journey as runners-up in IPL 2016, which ultimately led to his inclusion in the India T20I squad. Thus, it was unsurprising that RCB aimed to secure Rahul in last year’s auction, competing against Kolkata Knight Riders for his services.
However, at the price point of Rs 10.75 crore, RCB withdrew, leaving KKR in the lead, until DC stepped in to acquire Rahul for INR 14 crore. Consequently, when Rahul delivered impressive shot after impressive shot in Bengaluru, he had dual objectives: to shine on his home ground and to send a message to the team that considered acquiring him in the auction but ultimately walked away.
Appropriately, Rahul had the final laugh on his home turf, where fans applauded him instead of cheering for RCB. One can expect Rahul to be equally charged when DC faces RCB at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 27, and who knows, his spirited celebrations might evoke memories of that electrifying Thursday night at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
