KL Rahul vs Rohit Sharma - comparing their stats after 134 matches

Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) batters, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, are two of the iconic cricketers in IPL history. While the former began his IPL career in 2013, the latter has been part of the league since its inception in 2008.

Rohit is IPL's third all-time leading run-scorer with 6,649 runs in 260 outings, while Rahul just overtook Ajinkya Rahane for the 11th spot with his latest batting masterclass. The 32-year-old did something very few batters have in the IPL with his 51-ball 77 - bat the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) out of a contest on their home turf in Chennai.

Rohit, meanwhile, is famous for leading the Mumbai Indians (MI) to five IPL titles. Yet, the right-hander has also played several match-winning knocks in his illustrious career.

Now comes the million-dollar question - How did Rohit's batting numbers stack up against Rahul in the same number of IPL games? The latter just played his 134th IPL match in the CSK encounter, while Rohit has played almost twice as much with 260.

Hence, at just over the halfway stage of Rohit's IPL career, did he achieve better numbers than Rahul (after 134 games)? Let us find out.

Counting numbers

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul had similar first 134 IPL games in terms of the roles in their respective sides. While the former batted in the middle-order for a lot of his first few years, the latter was no different before turning into a reliable opener.

With that said, let us look at how the duo fared in terms of overall quantitative numbers after 134 IPL matches.

KL Rahul vs Rohit Sharma - Counting Numbers

While the evolution in T20s was drastic in the period when Rahul played his first 134 IPL matches to Rohit's, the massive gap between the duo in terms of overall numbers cannot be ignored.

There is a reason Rahul was in the running for the Orange Cap every season from 2018 to 2022 and won the same in 2020 - a feat Rohit had not come close to in his first 134 IPL outings.

The classy wicket-keeper batter has scored more than 1,000 runs over Rohit at the same stage with far more fifties and hundreds.

Edge: KL Rahul.

Impact numbers

Fairly or unfairly, KL Rahul has often been accused of scoring a mountain of runs that haven't always led to winning games for his side. Impact numbers like average and strike rate, hence, reveal more about a batter than counting numbers.

Furthermore, the same numbers in team wins will provide concrete evidence as to how much a batter has contributed to their success.

Thus, who between Rahul and Rohit boasted better impact numbers after 134 IPL games?

KL Rahul vs Rohit Sharma - Impact Numbers

The above table completely breaks all the myths about Rahul's impact in the IPL with the bat. The veteran gloveman averages an incredible 58.47 at a strike rate of almost 145 in team wins, while also boasting 45.47 and 135.07 splits overall after 134 matches.

Meanwhile, Rohit's overall average and strike rate of 33.16 and 131.88 with the splits increasing to 43.65 and 138.71 in wins after 134 IPL games are highly impressive. Yet, they pale in comparison to Rahul's extraordinary impact numbers that highlight his inimitable consistency and domination in the IPL.

Edge: KL Rahul.

Numbers in knockouts

Quite often, comparisons between two batters are diluted to their performances in big games when it comes to the IPL. Despite Rahul's incredible overall numbers, he has played only a handful of high-pressure knockout games in the IPL and boasts no titles yet.

Meanwhile, Rohit had already been part of three IPL title-winning teams during his first 134 IPL outings.

Here are their numbers in the IPL Playoffs and finals after 134 matches each:

KL Rahul vs Rohit Sharma - Knockout Numbers

Surprisingly, both Rahul and Rohit have struggled massively in the big IPL games - Playoffs and finals. Despite the titles, Rohit's batting numbers dropped to an average of under 15 and a strike rate of just 101.27 in 12 such matches.

On the other hand, Rahul's average of 30 and strike rate of 132.35 in three knockout games are much better than Rohit's numbers, even if underwhelming in isolation.

Edge: KL Rahul.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Rahul and Rohit played their first 134 IPL games at different times, considering T20 cricket's rapid evolution over the past years, the former edges the latter by huge margins across the board. Be it counting or impact numbers and performances in knockout games, Rahul has a clear upper hand over Rohit.

Winner: KL Rahul.