KL Rahul made a powerful statement in his first outing as an opener for Delhi Capitals in the 2025 IPL season. His unbeaten century lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium and helped set a challenging total for Gujarat Titans. While Rahul was in blistering form, he also delivered a special moment that reminded fans of one of Indian cricket’s most iconic T20 shots. A Shot That Echoed History Facing Prasidh Krishna in the 18th over, Rahul smashed a six straight over the bowler’s head. The shot instantly drew comparisons to Virat Kohli’s famous strike against Pakistan during the 2022 T20 World Cup. What a 6 by KL RAHUL! I’ve only seen Kohli hit one like this before 😳 pic.twitter.com/tfvc9OTzPx — Harinder Sekhon (@harinsekhonn) May 18, 2025 Kohli had played a similar shot in a high-stakes match and helped India clinch a dramatic victory. Rahul’s version may have come in a different setting, but the connection was unmistakable. WHAT. A. SHOT 💥 Virat Kohli’s breathtaking six down the ground against Pakistan in the ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 2022 is voted the @0xFanCraze Greatest Moment 👑 Details 👉 https://t.co/p3jT1zP7l7 pic.twitter.com/GYq5mXAm6w — ICC (@ICC) June 1, 2024 Composed Start, Explosive Finish Delhi Capitals had an early hiccup when Faf du Plessis was dismissed for 5 by Arshad Khan in the fourth over. Rahul then took charge, combining composure with clean hitting. He built a 90-run stand off 52 balls with Abishek Porel, who added 30 to the total. Next, Rahul partnered with captain Axar Patel for 45 runs in 26 deliveries. Axar contributed a quickfire 25 before falling to Prasidh Krishna. Tristan Stubbs joined Rahul at the end and added an unbeaten 21 off 13 balls. Their 48-run stand came off just 22 deliveries and kept the scoring rate high. Milestone Moment for Rahul Promoted to open, Rahul fully embraced the role. He struck 14 boundaries and cleared the ropes four times during his 112 not out off 65 balls. In doing so, he became the third fastest batter to reach 8000 runs in T20 cricket. He achieved the milestone in just 224 innings. Rahul looked in full control throughout the innings. He opened his six-hitting account by pulling Kagiso Rabada over long leg. Soon after, he lofted another six over long-off with elegance. Axar chipped in with boundaries of his own, hitting a four and a six off Sai Kishore before getting out. Rahul accelerated in the death overs. He brought up his century with two sixes in the 19th over, reaching three figures in just 60 balls. Stubbs added the finishing touches with a couple of big hits, helping Delhi Capitals post a total just shy of the 200-run mark. It was a knock that showcased Rahul’s class and also gave fans a nostalgic reminder of a legendary shot that once lit up a World Cup night. ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer Makes History: First Captain To Qualify For IPL Playoffs With Three Different Teams