New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has lauded wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul for his consistency in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and termed him as the safest bank for any franchise.

Rahul has proved to be the most consistent performer in the tournament’s history. He has crossed the 500-run mark in 7 of the last eight IPL seasons.

Rahul, who scored 539 runs for Delhi Capitals, is set to open the innings for the team in the upcoming season.

“KL Rahul is the safest bank to score 500 runs every season. He will always score runs and is capable of giving good starts consistently. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in this league. It’s just that we sometimes talk about his strike rate, but as long as you win the match, you don’t need to focus much on that,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Rahul boasts a great record in the tournament. He has scored 5,222 runs in 145 matches. He also holds the record of the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL. Rahul scored an unbeaten 132 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) while playing for Punjab Kings in IPL 2020. Former Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain has hammered five centuries and 40 half-centuries in the IPL.

Pathan has also backed Prithvi Shaw, who is making a comeback in the Capitals, to open the innings with Rahul.

“They got him at a very good price. He shifted to Maharashtra from Mumbai in domestic cricket. He was the highest run-scorer for Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Yes, he didn’t score in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but he seems to be in good form. I think those hungry players who went unsold last year always come with a point to prove. Prithvi Shaw will come to prove a point,” The 41 year old said.

Delhi Capitals will open their campaign against LSG on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

–IANS

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