World Cup: It was nice to get time in the middle, says centurion KL Rahul

India wicket-keeper and batter KL Rahul played a vital role in the last league stage game of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup against the Netherlands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. KL Rahul blazed his way to 102 off just 64 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and four sixes and his knock along with an unbeaten 128 by Shreyas Iyer, propelled India to an imposing 410/4.

India wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul on Sunday roared back to form scoring the fastest century for hosts in a World Cup. The Karnataka player, who was playing on his home ground - M Chinnaswamy Stadium - scored a blistering 102 off just 64 balls, which helped India to post a massive 410/4 in their 50 overs. Shreyas Iyer also slammed an unbeaten ton (128).

KL Rahul was a relieved man on Sunday, having spent some time in the middle before the big semi-final against New Zealand to be played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. The India wicket-keeper-batter took 62 balls to smash the fastest century for the country in a World Cup to better skipper Rohit Sharma's record (63 balls vs Afghanistan in the same edition of the World Cup).

• 📸📸 HUNDRED off just 62 deliveries 👏👏
  
  A marvellous knock that from KL Rahul 🔝#TeamIndia | #CWC23 | #MenInBlue | #INDvNED pic.twitter.com/D6dwgfYE1n

  — BCCI (@BCCI) November 12, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  📸📸 HUNDRED off just 62 deliveries 👏👏
  
  A marvellous knock that from KL Rahul 🔝#TeamIndia | #CWC23 | #MenInBlue | #INDvNED pic.twitter.com/D6dwgfYE1n

  — BCCI (@BCCI) November 12, 2023

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  📸📸 HUNDRED off just 62 deliveries 👏👏
  
  A marvellous knock that from KL Rahul 🔝#TeamIndia | #CWC23 | #MenInBlue | #INDvNED pic.twitter.com/D6dwgfYE1n

  — BCCI (@BCCI) November 12, 2023

"Not gotten a lot of time (in the middle) in the last two games, so it was nice to get some time today," KL Rahul, who ended up with 102 off 64 balls, told official broadcasters Star Sports in the mid-innings break.

"Batting at No five, it's important to get that confidence, it was a good knock. Getting that confidence to hit sixes towards the end was important," added Rahul. It was a timely knock for Rahul, his first fifty-plus score in eight innings coming just before the knock-out stage.

The flamboyant Rahul went berserk hitting four sixes and 11 fours as India racked up 122 runs in the last 10 overs for their second-highest World Cup total.

"It's not rocket science, got to go hard in the last 10 overs. Tried to get as many runs as possible, that was the plan, the ball gets softer, so hitting sixes at the back end becomes difficult. It's just not this game, everyone has a clear game plan, we have been executing it (our plans) pretty well," said KL Rahul.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul has also been solid behind the stumps and also has made a difference with his DRS judgements. It was in their match against Sri Lanka, that KL Rahul's sharp judgment behind the stumps had earned them the prized scalp of Dushmantha Chameera for a duck.

Chameera had the faintest of touch as no fielder seemed to have appealed but Rahul after taking the catch was sure of an edge and convinced his skipper Rohit Sharma to take the DRS.

"Wicket-keeping gets difficult sometimes, but I enjoy being involved in the game, the bowlers have challenged me during DRS calls, but they don't give me enough credit (on DRS calls)," he concluded.

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