KL Rahul eyes Dhoni & Raina milestones in IPL 2026 clash

KL Rahul will be in focus as Delhi Capitals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 31 of Indian Premier League 2026 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Both teams are coming into this game with momentum after recent wins, but a major subplot revolves around Rahul’s climb up the IPL all-time run charts.

📊 Rahul closing in on legends

Rahul has been one of the most consistent performers in IPL history. His current stats:

• 5390 runs in 141 innings
• Average: 45.67
• Strike rate: 136.83
• 5 centuries, 42 fifties

He now stands just:

• 50 runs behind MS Dhoni (5439 runs)
• 139 runs behind Suresh Raina (5528 runs)

A solid knock in this match could see Rahul:

• Overtake Dhoni
• Move into the top 6 highest run-scorers in IPL history

🧮 All-time IPL run scorers (Top 7)

• Virat Kohli – 8908 runs
• Rohit Sharma – 7183 runs
• Shikhar Dhawan – 6769 runs
• David Warner – 6565 runs
• Suresh Raina – 5528 runs
• MS Dhoni – 5439 runs
• KL Rahul – 5390 runs

🔥 Can Rahul surpass Raina this season?

Rahul needs 139 runs to go past Raina, which is very achievable given:

• His current form
• His role as a top-order anchor
• His ability to convert starts into big scores

If he maintains consistency, Rahul could realistically finish IPL 2026 as:

• 5th highest run-scorer of all time

However, breaking into the top 4 will be difficult this season due to a gap of 1000+ runs.

⚔️ Match context

• Delhi Capitals rely heavily on Rahul at the top
• Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to counter him early
• The pitch at Hyderabad generally favors batters, increasing chances of a high-scoring game

🧠 Key takeaway

This isn’t just about one match — it’s about Rahul’s legacy in IPL history.

• Surpassing Dhoni = symbolic milestone
• Overtaking Raina = entering elite IPL territory