KL Rahul emerged as the standout performer for India as they secured a victory over Australia in their opening match of the Cricket World Cup 2023, captained by Rohit Sharma.


KL Rahul came incredibly close to scoring a century but ultimately guided India to a win over Australia. He remained unbeaten with a score of 97 runs off 115 deliveries and had the honour of hitting the winning runs for India. His reaction after hitting the final six of the match has become a sensation on social media. India faced a challenging target of 200 runs and found themselves in dire straits early on as skipper Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Ishan Kishan were all dismissed without adding any runs to the scoreboard. However, Rahul forged a remarkable partnership with Virat Kohli, both notching up half-centuries, and India comfortably clinched the victory.






During the final moments of the match, when India needed a six to secure victory, KL Rahul was only 9 runs away from his century. Rahul was well aware of the possibility of reaching his hundred by attempting to hit a four followed by a six. He went for a four, but the timing was so sublime that the ball sailed over the ropes for a six. This unexpected outcome briefly surprised Rahul, but he quickly broke into a smile as the stadium erupted in celebration.


Renowned cricket commentator Harsh Bhogle took to his Twitter (X) account to address the past criticism that KL Rahul had faced. He wrote, "I remember KL Rahul getting a lot of criticism. I never understood it. In the middle order in ODIs, he is excellent."


Virat Kohli and KL Rahul played resilient innings, rescuing India from a precarious situation of losing three wickets for just two runs, ultimately leading India to a six-wicket victory over Australia in their inaugural Cricket World Cup match. Pursuing a challenging target of 200 runs, India overcame the hurdle with 52 balls to spare. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja played a pivotal role, securing figures of 3-28, contributing significantly to bowling out Australia for 199 runs in 49.3 overs. This encounter marked the 150th ODI meeting between these two cricket powerhouses.


India are set to lock their horns next with Afghanistan on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. The match will begin at 2:00 P.M. IST.